This 'n' Thats: A Collection of One-shots
by Stormlight
Summary: To celebrate the new release of Sailor Moon Crystal, and the RE-release of classic Sailor Moon, I've decided to go through my old stories and repost my Sailor Moon oneshots and songfics (minus the songs) into this collection. They are newly re-edited, revised, and hopefully improved. The main pairing and focus of these stories are Usagi and Mamoru. Ratings vary. Please enjoy.
1. What They Were

_AN 1: In celebration of the brand new Sailor Moon Crystal series (which is utterly _fantastic_, FYI) _and_ the newly revamped original series being released by VIZ Media, I've decide to go through my old one-shots and revamp, re-edit, and re-post them for your viewing pleasure. To save cluttering up my page with tons of short stories as I did in the past, they'll all be posted into this single story as individual, stand-alone chapters. Most of them are set within the first season and focus primarily on Usagi and Mamoru and their superhero counterparts. One or two are set within the second season. Most of them can be considered AU. Ratings vary per story, but most fall into the PG13 category, for extreme fluff. I've always been a sucker for a good romance._

_AN 2: This is a story I wrote years back in honor of Usagi's birthday on June 29. It was inspired by the first season episode "Usagi Learns Her Lesson: Becoming a Star Is Hard Work" (the dubbed version). Specifically, the scene when Usagi has her run-in with Mamoru. This story is definitely AU as it sort of goes off on its own course and turns out completely different from the actual episode. There is no Sailor Moon or Tuxedo Kamen in this story, just Usagi and Mamoru. Being what they are._

* * *

_What They Were  
__by Stormlight_

This was possibly one of the worst days Tsukino Usagi had experienced in a long time, and that was saying something. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and it had all started when that stupid talent contest was announced. Of course, she'd initially been thrilled to hear that her favorite star was holding such a contest for the local population of Tokyo, and she and Naru had immediately gotten together to plan a song-and-dance routine, deciding to split the cost of entering between them with their daily allowance.

Well. _T__hat_ hadn't lasted very long.

Usagi pouted to herself. Was it _her_ fault that Naru had absolutely no rhythm? And how _dare_ she say Usagi sang like a dying goat? That was just uncalled for! And then, to top it _all_ off, Naru had slammed out of the house and had gone to find herself another partner … who turned out to be _Umino_ of all people. The … the _traitor_!

Usagi furiously kicked a stone out of her path as she strode down the sidewalk, watching as it sailed over the heads of several pedestrians before descending to neatly nip the hat off an elderly gentleman's head some ten feet ahead of her. The unsuspecting man nearly jumped out of his skin when his hat suddenly and mysteriously flipped itself off his head and landed with a plop at his feet. He stared at it for a long moment, bewilderment etched across his face, before poking at it with his walking stick (to make sure it was dead), and then bending stiffly to retrieve it. Muttering something about paying too much for bad prescriptions, the poor man continued to hobble his way home, keeping one hand on his head the entire way, just in case his hat decided to take itself for any more walks.

Usagi peered around the corner from her hiding spot in a convenient alley, blushing profusely, and decided that kicking stones on a crowded sidewalk was probably a bad idea. Sighing again, she stepped out of the alley and trudged along, radiating misery as she continued to wallow in self-pity. How could Naru have done this to her? How could she have abandoned her own best friend for that nerd boy? And now it was too late to find another partner, because all of her other friends were already paired up, and there was nobody left. Besides, the contest was being held that very afternoon, so even if she did find a partner, she wouldn't have time to practice a routine, anyway. What kind of talents did she have, anyhow, aside from wailing loudly and failing all her math tests? She sniffled and allowed a few small tears to trickle down her face, just to show the world how miserable she felt.

Yes, the day was fast going downhill, and she realized it could go even faster when she spotted the one person she least wanted to see at that moment: Chiba Mamoru.

There was no sense in hoping he hadn't seen her; his hand was already in the air as he greeted her with a friendly, "Oi, Odango!"

She squeaked and screeched to a halt, ducking into yet another alley to get away from him. Only to find—Curse her rotten luck, anyway!—her escape route came to a dead end. She scowled at the chain-link fence blocking her exit and contemplated trying to climb it; quickly decided against it when she imagined Mamoru-baka appearing just in time to see her slip and rip her clothes and give him a good peep show or something. The torment would be never-ending!

"Please don't let him come over here. _Please_ don't let him come over here," she chanted, sliding down the wall and burying her face in her knees, as though to somehow make herself invisible. When her little brother was younger, he would cover his eyes and shout, "You can't see me!" Usagi cracked a small grin at the memory, despite the tears still clinging to her lower lashes. No matter how hard she'd tried to convince him otherwise, Shingo had thoroughly believed that if he couldn't see anyone else, they couldn't see him, either. "I wish it was true," she whispered to herself. Such a power would have come in handy right about then.

"You wish what was true, Odango?"

She squeaked and jumped, raising teary eyes to the face of her worst enemy.

Blue clashed with blue, met and locked, and a sudden, strange jolt of … _something_ shot through her, making her breath catch momentarily in her throat.

She forced herself to breathe, shaking off the odd sensation. This wasn't the first time such an occurrence had happened. It seemed as though every time she met him, every time he looked into her eyes, that same, disorienting shock would hit her like a bolt of lightning. And curse him, anyway, but _he_ never seemed to be affected by it at all!

He blinked down at her, as if startled by the sight of her wet lashes. "What's the matter with you?" he asked with his usual tact and grace. "I'd have thought you'd be over at that silly talent show or something. The rest of the city seems to be headed that direction."

She sputtered. "Yeah … well … maybe I just have more important things to do!"

He raised an eyebrow as if to say, "You're joking, right?" Then he dropped to his haunches and smirked at her. "You just couldn't find a partner, could you, Odango? Maybe nobody would partner with you because they know you don't have any talent."

"Go away!" Usagi shrieked. In the narrow alley, her voice was amplified, and he stumbled back with a yelp, clutching his ears protectively.

"Odango! Yell a little louder, why don't you? I'm not quite deaf yet!"

She glared at him, fighting back more tears. "I'll scream if you don't leave me alone!"

He opened his mouth, all ready with a snappy retort … and then slowly closed it again. She glared at him as he quietly studied her, watched as she rose to her feet and brushed her skirt off, preparing to leave. "Love to stay and chat, but I can think of less painful things I'd rather be doing. Like my homework," she sniffed, giving a haughty toss of her hair as she tried to walk away. However, walking away turned out to be impossible, given the firm grip Mamoru had taken on one of her long ponytails. Despite her insistent tugging, he didn't seem inclined to let go anytime soon, either.

"Let _go_ of me," she snapped, turning on him furiously.

He ignored her, still studying her face with serious eyes. His expression softened as he seemed to realize how truly upset she was. "Where's your friend?" he asked quietly. "The red-head I always see you hanging out with? Why isn't she your partner for that contest?"

Her carefully-held mask slipped just a little before she managed to compose herself. "How should I know?" She affected a careless shrug. "Naru's probably making an idiot out of herself onstage by now."

He nodded thoughtfully, and she used his distraction to yank her hair from his grasp. She stalked away, shoulders held proudly erect, and prayed that was the end of it and he would finally get the clue hammered into his thick skull that she did _not_ want to talk to him.

Of course he was dumber than that.

A moment later, a warm, heavy weight draped itself around her shoulders. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was his arm. She gaped at him as he strolled beside her, actually steering her in a certain direction. She tried to balk, but he was too strong, and she was forced to keep pace beside him. "What do you think you're doing, Mamoru-baka?" she hissed furiously.

"What's it look like? I'm taking you to the talent show," he replied calmly. When she tried to protest, he added, "Don't lie to me, Odango. I know you. You probably really want to see it, even if you're not in it. You want to support your friend, right?"

She blinked in surprise. How did he _know_ that? It was true, though; even if she was mad at Naru, she still wanted to show support for her best friend. No way could she admit such a thing to _him_, of all people. The smug jerk was insufferable enough! "You don't know anything about me," she snapped. "Just leave me alone!"

"Sorry, Odango." He gave a dry little chuckle. "That seems to be impossible."

Usagi gaped, shocked out of further protest as he led her along the street. She should scream, she told herself. She should kick him in the shin, or pinch him or … or _something_. Call for the police, scream kidnapping… It'd serve him right for being so … so _arrogant_!

But … he meant well, didn't he? She frowned, thinking about his actions. True, she had no idea _why_ he was so determined to bring her to her friend, or why he was sticking his nose into something that wasn't any of his business to start with. Usually, they just exchanged a few verbal blows and went on their merry way. What made today so different? But, she hadn't missed the concern in his eyes, or the way his expression had softened when he'd correctly deduced that she was truly upset over her fight with Naru. Was he… Could he actually _worried_ about her?

She squirmed a bit, felt his arm tighten around her shoulders as if trying to pull her further to his side. And their close proximity hit her all at once, causing a deep flush to crawl slowly up her neck and into her face as she realized how it must look to the passersby, to see the two walking so closely together. Like a … a _couple_.

She glanced around; indeed, there were definite stares being directed their way, and most of them female. Women both young and old eyeballed Mamoru like a choice cut of steak, and several of them cast jealous, slightly-disbelieving glances to Usagi as they passed, making her flush deepen. She tried again to extricate herself from Mamoru's hold, and failed. He seemed more determined than ever to keep her close to him. When she shot him a brief glare, he merely glanced down with a small quirk of lips and warm eyes, not at all phased by the stares. He was probably used to it, the smug jerk. She pouted and focused her gaze on her plodding feet, determined to pretend he didn't exist for the next several minutes.

"Looks like quite a crowd."

His deep voice made her jump, and she looked up to find herself at the park entrance, where a large mob of people had gathered. "Where's your friend?" he asked.

She shrugged. "How should I know? And will you kindly get your arm off me?"

"But I'm comfortable like this." He flashed her a roguish wink. "Don't you think we fit together nicely?"

She gaped at him, feeling the blush burning in her face again, before hastily shoving his arm away and scrambling to lose herself in the crowd. Of course he was right on he heels. "Oh, come on, Odango," he called teasingly. "There's no shame in admitting you find me attractive!"

"When donkeys fly!" she screeched, now thoroughly flustered. What was _wrong_ with the man, anyway? This wasn't anything like his usual teasing, and she had no idea what to make of it. She could deal with nicknames and taunts, but this all-out flirting was entirely out of her league! _And he knows it, too, _she thought peevishly.

She stopped when she felt him tug on her sleeve, her eyes following the direction of his pointing finger toward the large, outdoor auditorium where most park events were held. And there was Naru, practicing some of her dance moves behind the stage. A rather strange-looking girl practiced with her, and Usagi's eyes widened when she recognized who it was. She would know those coke-bottle glasses anywhere! "_Umino?_" she gasped.

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?"

She cast Mamoru a withering look. "Not funny. Umino is the one in that … really _ugly_ dress." She tilted her head and examined her classmate curiously. "How in the world did Naru-chan talk him into _wearing_ that?" she mumbled, truly awed by her friend's powers of persuasion.

"You mean … that's a _guy_?" Mamoru choked out, a funny expression passing over his face.

"Obviously. Why? Were you thinking of asking him out?" She smirked, ducking from the light swat he aimed at her head. "I could introduce you. I bet you'd have a lot in common! You're both major nerds, after all. A man after your own heart!" She flashed a cocky grin, ignoring his glower.

"That's enough, Odango," he growled, locking his arm around her neck in warning.

"Why? Can't take your own medicine?" she sniffed. "Not as sweet when it's being stuffed down _your_ throat, is it?"

His lips twitched upward in a smile. "Touche," he conceded, patting her on the head. "Now go make up with your friend."

Her eyes widened. "No way! Why should I? _She_ ditched _me._"

"So you had a fight over the contest." He nodded knowingly. "I kind of thought as much. Who started it?"

"None of your business," she growled.

All teasing dropped from his tone. "Usagi, when you fight with a friend, you need to fix it right away." His voice was soft, eyes serious and concerned. "If you let it fester, things may grow worse between you, and you don't want to lose her over this silly contest, do you? You need to talk to her and work things out. If you don't, you'll just regret it later."

Well, Usagi was stumped. What he said made perfect sense, and of course that made her mad. Did the man have to be right _all_ the time?

He led her closer to her friend, stopping right in front of the red-head. Naru looked at Usagi in surprise, then cast a somewhat awed look in Mamoru's direction. "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked, turning her back to Usagi.

"Mamoru-baka dragged me here," Usagi muttered, and jumped when she felt a sharp jab in her back. "I-I mean, I came over to wish you luck," she amended, while at the same time attempting to grind the heel of her shoe into Mamoru's foot. He grunted as she made contact, and she smiled sweetly. "Yeah, that's it. So, um, good luck, Naru-chan," she continued. "I'll root for you to win."

"Really?" Naru regarded her cautiously. "You … aren't mad?"

"Well, I _was_," Usagi admitted. "It was dirty of you to dump your best friend like that. But, Naru … you got stuck with _Umino_ of all people." She grinned, her eyes suddenly dancing with humor. "How can I stay mad? I figure you brought that punishment onto yourself. It's worse than anything _I_ could think up!"

Naru snorted out a laugh, despite herself, and jabbed playfully at Usagi's ribs. "He isn't _that_ bad," she protested, blushing a little. "I mean … he's actually kinda nice when you get to know him."

Usagi's eyes widened. "Oh, no. It's happening!" she wailed, throwing her arms around her friend. "He's starting to melt your brain! This is more serious than I thought!"

"Stop!" Naru laughingly shoved her away. "He'll hear you!"

Usagi pulled a face. "Are you going to ask him out when this is over? Because I think that would call for an intervention." She received a whack on the head as Naru glared at her. "Okay, I'm sorry," she giggled. "But, I gotta know…" She paused, trying to look serious. "Does he sing better than a dying goat?"

Instead of laughing, as Usagi had hoped, Naru instead looked down, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry I said that, Usagi-chan," she said softly. "It was really mean, and it isn't true. Well, not much, anyway." She smiled faintly. "Will you forgive me? I don't want us to fight."

"Neither do I!" Usagi hugged her again, sniffling. "You're my best friend, Naru-chan! I won't let some silly little thing like a contest break us up."

"I hate to interrupt this incredibly touching moment, but I think it's time for you guys to do your act," Mamoru cut in, nodding toward Umino, who was frantically gesturing between them and the stage.

"Oh!" Naru pulled away and adjusted her costume. "How do I look?" Without waiting for an answer, she leaned in and whispered, "What's the deal with you and _him_, anyhow? Are you two going out now or something?" Her green eyes sparkled impishly.

"N-no way!" Usagi yelped, glaring at Naru for even daring to suggest such a horrible idea. "Mamoru-baka kidnapped me, that's all!"

"Really?" Naru favored Mamoru with a questioning smile. "Well, that was awfully kind of him. Giving us the chance to make up and all." She blushed faintly when he winked at her, and turned an innocent expression back to Usagi. "Don't you think so, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi blinked, realizing that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Muttering an affirmative, she scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe as Naru giggled and grabbed Umino's hand, pulling him onto the stage.

"There, now. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mamoru gave Usagi an encouraging smile when she shrugged and mumbled, clearly unwilling to admit he'd been right. He drew an arm around her shoulders, and this time she didn't protest as he led her to find a seat so she could cheer her friends on properly.

* * *

Naru and Umino performed their act surprisingly well, at least compared to some of the other acts, anyway. They held most of their notes and managed to keep their steps mostly in time with each other, and Usagi grudgingly admitted to herself that they made a pretty good team. When they finished, she cheered wildly and hugged not only Naru, but Umino as well, who looked like he was about to faint at the attention.

Two performances later, right in the middle of a rather good comedy act, the police abruptly showed up. They flooded the park in a wave, and first one actor, then the other, halted in the middle of their performance and stared in astonishment as the officers swept down the narrow isles of the theater, blowing whistles and yelling orders to each other and causing general chaos among the spectators.

Two officers headed directly for the host of the show; a shifty-looking little man that reminded Usagi somewhat of a ferret. He, in turn, made a hasty beeline for the back of the stage, looking like a hunted deer, only to find his way blocked by three more officers. He looked wildly around for another escape route but was apprehended, his wrists slapped with a pair of cuffs, and led roughly away.

Amid the excited chatter of the crowd, another officer stepped up to the microphone and tapped it to get everyone's attention. "If you'll all calm down," he announced in a booming voice, "I'll explain everything to you. This pertains especially to the performers who were involved in this little set-up."

Naru and Usagi looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Involved?" Naru squeaked.

"Set-up?" Usagi questioned.

"We're doooomed!" Umino wailed in a good imitation of Usagi, clutching Naru and bawling into her shirt. "We'll go to jail for aiding illegal activities! I'm too young to go to prison! My academic record will be ruined for life!"

Usagi rolled her eyes. Really, was so much drama necessary? "Well, look on the bright side. I doubt a nerd like you would last very long with all those hardened criminals, anyway. You'll be fish-bait inside a week," she told him helpfully.

Umino just bawled louder, and Naru shot her grinning friend an exasperated glance as she led the distraught boy away, attempting to soothe him.

Mamoru watched the whole scene, shaking his head in amusement. "Was that necessary?" he teased, tossing Usagi a sidelong glance. She ignored him, turning her attention to the officer on stage.

The contest turned out to be fake, to everyone's shock. The "mastermind" behind the entire scheme was a former manager of Saffron's, who'd been fired after being brought under suspicion for embezzling funds. There'd been no solid proof, so he'd escaped a jail term, but he had decided to take revenge by using former resources and creating a fake contest under the starlet's name, thereby swindling the unsuspecting masses out of their money. He might have gotten away with it if he'd been a little smarter. As it was, all the advertising done beforehand had not helped him in the long run; it was only natural that the wrong people had noticed the fliers and billboards, and had sent out the alert for his arrest.

As the excitement finally died, people started to drift away, still talking animatedly about the hoax. Even the performers didn't seem that disappointed, being too excited over getting to witness a real, live crook being apprehended. They were given instructions on how to get their money back, and Umino was reassured by the cops that no, victims did not get thrown into prison. He and Naru collected the vouchers for their refunds, and then Naru managed a wave to Usagi before she vanished into the crowd with Umino in tow.

Usagi watched them go with some surprise—There was _definitely_ something going on between those two!—but it was right about then that she realized the auditorium had been all but abandoned, and she was alone with Mamoru, sitting side-by-side on one of the benches in front of the empty stage.

Oh, boy.

"Well," she said uneasily, as discomfort abruptly kicked in. "_That_ was a learning experience."

His lips lifted in a smile; she swallowed, realizing that she actually _liked_ his smile, when it wasn't accompanied by flying insults. "And just what did we learn today?" he asked, trying to affect a stern manner despite the teasing note in his voice.

"Well, I learned to thoroughly check out any contest sponsored by Saffron from now on," she quipped, then scowled. "And I learned Naru-chan's been holding out on me. I'm gonna tie that girl to a chair until she gives me some answers next time I see her!"

"Why? Jealous?" he chuckled.

"Of _Umino_?" She pulled a sour face. "I'm just worried about Naru's mental well-being! I can't imagine what she'd see in someone like _him_. They have nothing in common! She's way too sophisticated for him. His idea of a thrilling date is going to the bug museum. Believe me, I know, 'cause he's asked _me_ out plenty of times already."

Mamoru smirked. "Well, sometimes first impressions are wrong," he said. "Maybe she discovered something in him that she didn't see before? Maybe if you spent time with him, you'd see the same thing."

"I'd rather study." She spit out the words with a distasteful wrinkle of her nose.

He kept his gaze focused on the stage in front of him as he continued softly, "First impressions are really important, I guess. But they're also kind of dangerous, because they can give a person the wrong idea. Sometimes, we see someone act a certain way, and we think that's how they really are." His gaze shifted until it locked with hers. _Again_, that jolt, and her body slowly warming and her breath catching in her throat and why couldn't he _feel_ it? It wasn't fair!

"Sometimes," he continued, "some of those people are too stubborn to try and look past the end of their nose to discover how the other person really is."

She swallowed, a slow burn of resentment heating her blood further. "I really don't need a lecture from _you_ of all people," she snapped, bristling under his criticism.

"I'm not talking about you and Umino," he cut in. "What I meant was … the two of us."

She gaped, stunned into silence yet again.

He smiled. "Do you want to know what I learned?"

She hesitated, genuinely curious. Then she scowled, annoyed with herself. "Not really, but I guess you'll tell me anyway."

He chuckled, amused by her stubbornness. "I learned that my first impressions of someone were wrong, too. Someone I thought was just an immature, whiny, klutzy crybaby is really much more than that." He paused. "Well … to be honest, I'd figured that out a while ago, but I never wanted to admit I'd been wrong. Until now."

Her eyes went wide, and she gaped at him. Was this … an actual _apology_ she was hearing?

Mamoru smiled weakly at her expression. "It took me a long time, but I started seeing past all your faults. It made me remember you were an actual person. You always seemed so … unbreakable. No matter what I threw at you, you always bounced right back. It was unreal. And the times you'd bother to defend yourself and insult me back … it actually hurt. It didn't seem fair that you could hurt me so easily, when I couldn't seem to touch you, and that just made me try all the harder."

She'd hurt him? Cold, immovable Chiba Mamoru? Was such a thing actually possible? "B-but I wasn't trying to hurt you," she protested. "You'd just get me so mad that I—"

"I'm not accusing, Usagi," he cut in, gently. "I deserved everything you said, and I can admit it." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "And I've come to realize that maybe I was wrong in assuming my words never affected you. I'm sure they've hurt you plenty of times, and I have no excuse for anything I said. So, this is me, telling you that I'm sorry." His eyes met hers again, soft and pleading. "I'm honestly sorry. Do you think you can forgive me? I know I might not be as easy to forgive as Naru, but can you at least try?"

Usagi squirmed uncomfortably as a heated blush burned in her cheeks, trying to avoid his intense stare. Who was this guy? Why was he saying these things to her? Not that she didn't _appreciate_ it, but it was just so … _weird_. An apology was the last thing she'd ever expect to come out of _his_ mouth. "Well … I mean … I guess I can forgive you," she stuttered, trying to ignore the butterflies beating against the walls of her stomach. "As long as you actually mean it, I guess it wouldn't be very big of me to not forgive you after you helped me with Naru-chan and all."

His answering smile rivaled the sun, dazzling her eyes. "Thank you, Usagi." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Naru's really lucky, you know. Friends like you are a rare breed."

She gulped, her heart skipping strangely again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to think. "Not really. You just gotta look for them," she mumbled, wondering when, exactly, the ground would open up and swallow her. This had to be a dream. And if it was, she wasn't sure she wanted to wake up. Not if it meant losing this entirely new, vastly improved, Chiba Mamoru. How could she possibly go back to dealing with the old Mamoru-baka after _this_?

He was silent for a moment, and Usagi watched him, wondering what he was contemplating so seriously. After a moment, he refocused his gaze on her. "This might be a strange request, but would you—" He stopped, cleared his throat. "That is, I'd like to take you for ice cream … or something … sometime," he finished lamely.

Her jaw dropped. Okay. That was it. An apology was one thing, but _now_ he was offering to take her for ice cream? This was all the proof she needed. Chiba Mamoru was undeniably out of his mind. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked, honestly confused. "I-I mean, I'm glad you apologized and all, but I don't expect you to start hanging out with me now or anything."

"But I want to," he replied, smiling a little at her expression. "I do like you, Usagi-chan, and the more time I spend with you, the more I like you. But you're right; I really don't know you. I'd like to fix that, if you'd let me. I'd really like to get to know the real Tsukino Usagi better."

She hesitated. "When would you want to—"

"Why not now?" He gave a sheepish smile. "Well, do you have other plans? It's a beautiful day for an outing, so why not?"

Why not? Usagi could think of a few reasons, but looking into his hopeful face, she found she couldn't bring herself to name any of them. So, she gave a non-committal shrug in reply, which was apparently all the consent he needed. He flashed her a boyish grin, took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. _Well, no going back now,_ she thought with resignation, and allowed him to lead her away, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into.

* * *

Usagi thought, not for the first time, that she'd surely died.

It was awkward and just _weird_ at first, to be walking around with Chiba Mamoru like a couple of … _whatever_ they were. But as the day passed, and Mamoru didn't turn around and start laughing hysterically at how gullible she was to believe him, she found herself relaxing by slow degrees. After a time, she discovered that she was actually having _fun_.

As it turned out, Mamoru could be a perfect gentleman when he set his mind to it. In fact, his behavior was downright _princely_, and she was witnessing a whole new side to her worst enemy that she had always suspected might be there, but had never experienced firsthand before. She was coming to understand, now, what all those women saw in him. She was coming to see how _appealing_ this person actually was. Aside from his looks (and, okay, she'd _always_ thought he was gorgeous, even before today), his manner was courteous and kind, and he didn't make a single snide comment about her tendency to trip over nothing, or even her eating habits. Not even when she hesitantly ordered a triple-scoop, chocolate-fudge ice cream cone from the little stand in the park. In fact, he ordered the same thing for himself, and added rainbow-colored sprinkles on top. And, watching the expression of pleasure on his face as he took his first bite, she had to reevaluate her impression of him a little more. After all, how bad could a person really be when they clearly realized the significance of chocolate in one's life?

They sat at on a bench beside the lake, eating their ice cream and watching the ducks in the water. Neither of them said much, but it was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Usagi commented that the ducks' tails looked like bobbing, feathered corks as they rooted in the grasses at the bottom of the lake, which raised an amused chuckle and even an agreement from her companion. She tossed the last bit of her cone to a beautiful black swan that wandered along the shore, almost close enough to touch. The swan gave her the once-over, stuck its beak in the air, and waddled down to the water with all the grace of a newborn calf.

"Snob!" Usagi called playfully after it. Full and content, she yawned and stretched like a lazy cat, her shirt riding up to bare her stomach. She felt eyes on her, glancing over to find that Mamoru's gaze had locked onto the narrow strip of skin revealed to the warm breeze, fixated and intense. Almost predatory. Embarrassed, and feeling suddenly much more exposed than she liked, she hastily tugged her shirt down, blushing profusely. She couldn't meet his eyes, although she could still feel them on her. "What?" she mumbled. "What're you staring at?"

His smile was slow. "Nothing. I was just thinking that spending time with you has been nice. Really … relaxing." His gaze slid toward the water as she gaped at him.

"M-me?" she sputtered on a laugh, pointing to herself. "You think _I'm_ relaxing?" She shook her head. "Don't think I've heard that one before."

He huffed a short laugh. "You don't believe me?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and folding his hands to prop his chin atop them.

"Given this is coming from _you_ … not really, no." Her wry grin took any sting out of her words. "Well, if we're gonna start confessing stuff, I might as well admit that I've been kind of impressed with you today." She blushed again at his obvious surprise and squirmed a little. "I mean, here I'd always thought you were just some stuck-up jerk who had nothing better to do than to go around making my life miserable. But now you showed me you're a real, live human, and I _guess_ I can sort of understand why everyone else seems to actually like you. You're not such a bad guy. When you're not acting like a jackass."

A startled laugh escaped his lips. "Thank you. I think," he deadpanned.

She flashed a cheeky grin. "Anytime!"

"So…" He hesitated. "What would that make us then?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we? Given all these heartfelt confessions and all, and me apologizing and you accepting it, I hardly think enemies is the proper term for our relationship anymore," he pointed out.

"Hmm." She rested her chin in her hands and gazed out over the lake. A spark of hope had ignited in her chest, burning her heart painfully even as she struggled to affect an air of nonchalance. "I guess not."

"So, if not enemies, what are we now?"

She quirked a small smile. "Well, I'm no genius or anything, but I think the word you're probably looking for is 'friends'."

His gaze was steady upon her. "And … is that what we are?"

She frowned, suddenly uncertain, and shifted uncomfortably. "Well, uh, if you'd rather not be, that's okay. I mean, it's not like we have a lot in common or—"

She stopped talking when he reached over to take her hand, giving it a squeeze. "No, it's okay. You're right, Usagi." He flashed her a smile that left her breathless. "Friends is exactly the word I was looking for."

"Th-that's great," she stuttered, forcing her gaze from his. She tried hard to ignore the way her heart kept skipping around in her chest, and the heat burning in her cheeks. There was that spark again, that instant connection, the sense of belonging and recognition she felt every time she looked into his eyes. It was as if her heart kept trying to tell her something her head just wasn't ready to hear.

She shook off the feeling as she always did, but found it increasingly difficult; a steady attraction was growing, which she _knew_ was purely one-sided. She'd always thought him handsome, but looks weren't everything and she had been able to brush aside such feelings as shallow and insignificant. Merely a teenage crush. Now that she'd seen his true personality, though, the attraction was stronger than ever, and she had no idea what to do with it, except to continue doing what she'd always done and pretend it didn't exist. Becoming friends was one thing. Why ruin it by wondering if they might become … _more_? She wasn't under any delusions, here.

"Something on your mind?" Mamoru's voice startled her out of her musings. She squeaked in shock, realizing she'd been staring at him quite hard; no wonder he'd noticed! She started to panic. "Uh … no … just—You have chocolate on your mouth," she stuttered.

"I do?" He sat up a bit.

"Y-yeah." She laughed, nervous and jumpy, which she knew he'd noticed. She fought to get her emotions back under control. "Right there, at the corner."

"Uh huh. And you're only telling me this _now_?" He shot her a mock glare.

She forced herself to smile and relax. "Well, I was actually gonna let you walk the whole way home like that. But, I figured since we're friends now and all, it'd be nicer to warn you beforehand," she replied with a flippant little wave.

"You're too kind." He shot her a deadpan glance and proceeded to scrub at his mouth with the back of his hand. "Gone?"

She smirked, her good humor returning. "Missed by a mile."

He scrubbed again, and she laughed into her hand. He fixed her with the most adorable pout she'd ever seen. "Okay, smartass. Why don't you get rid of it for me?"

She suddenly wasn't so amused. "Um, I really don't—It's just right there at the corner!" she protested weakly.

"What, afraid I'll bite?" he challenged, a playful glow lighting his eyes.

"No! It's just…" She paused, trying to come up with a good excuse to refuse. He merely quirked an eyebrow, and she huffed. "Oh, fine!" Marching to the lake, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, dipped it into the water and stomped back, reaching out to wipe the sticky chocolate from his mouth.

"Hey, now, that water is filthy!" he protested.

"Don't be a baby and hold still. What's a little duck poop?" she teased as he squirmed away. She made another attempt to swipe at the mess … only to find her hand captured within his, pressing her palm against a warm cheek slightly roughened with the hint of a five-o'clock shadow. Her eyes widened and her breath in a noisy gasp as the handkerchief fluttered, forgotten, to the ground.

At the sound of that sharp breath, his eyes snapped to hers, met and locked … and once again that strange connection, that sense of _recognition_, flooded her.

And _he_ could feel it, too, she realized with stunned wonder. For the first time she could see the emotion churning in the depths of his dark gaze, intense and tumultuous and confused, but slowly clearing. His eyes drifted shut, releasing her from the spell, and he turned his face ever-so-slightly; just enough to press a soft kiss into the very center of her captured palm.

She squeaked, eyes going wide. What was he _doing_? Was he teasing her again? The feel of his lips against her skin made her heart stutter and her panting breath freeze in her throat; when his free hand gently cupped her cheek, she thought she might actually pass out. Her entire face felt as if it was about to erupt in flame. She managed to suck in another breath as his fingers traced her skin to cup her chin, and when he tilted her face to his, she decided that she was _definitely_ in heaven.

Her eyes fluttered as the moist warmth of his lips against her palm vanished. Her hand was lowered to her side. A flash of disappointment, lasting a mere moment before his breath ghosted across her trembling mouth, and then those same lips were softly, insistently, covering hers.

She melted. All strength fled her body in a rush of intoxicating heat, and she found herself leaning heavily against Mamoru's chest, arms trapped between them with palms resting flat against his dark shirt. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming madly against her fingers. He didn't appear to mind. He gave a soft little groan, and both of his arms slid tightly around her, pulling her onto his lap. He held her protectively against him as one hand stroked up and down her back, the other cradling the back of her head.

She couldn't be in heaven, she thought dreamily as she was cuddled even closer into Mamoru's warmth. And it couldn't be a dream. If it was only that, she wouldn't be _feeling_ so much. Which meant, as hard as it was to believe, she was actually there, being kissed thoroughly by Chiba Mamoru, who seemed determined to kiss the breath clean out of her, and doing an incredible job of trying.

Of course, they were probably getting a little carried away; after all, they were in a public park, right out in the open where anyone could walk by and see them. Somebody was bound to get into trouble for this. She really should pull away, since he didn't seem inclined to. Still, despite this perfectly logical conclusion, she couldn't seem to muster the will to pull back.

Mamoru seemed to have reached the same conclusion, however. Slowly, his deep kisses eased, and his wandering hands—which had managed to sneak up the back of her shirt to caress her soft skin—were withdrawn, to her disappointment. Their mouths reluctantly parted, drawing deep, unsteady, much-needed breaths of air as they stared at each other in rapt wonder.

He studied her, taking in her dazed expression, the half-closed eyes, her heavy breath panting between rosy, swollen lips that just _begg__ed_ to be kissed again, and released a little groan as he lowered his mouth to hers again. At the last moment, he regained enough control of himself to divert his aim to her neck, instead, and Usagi shuddered at the first touch of his lips against her throat. He nuzzled soft kisses into the fragrant skin, moving steadily lower in his exploration. He couldn't seem to get enough of her. "Mamoru…" she moaned, his name little more than a breathless whisper, but it was enough to snap him back to his senses with all the force of a blow to the gut.

Between one moment and the next, Usagi found herself seated on the bench, blinking in dazed surprise, while he scooted to the opposite end, his back stiff and straight as he sought to bring his rampaging hormones under control. "I-I'm sorry," he rasped, jamming his fingers through his hair. He sounded unaccountably ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I … I shouldn't have—This shouldn't have happened."

She stared at him, stung. That had been, without a doubt, one of the best experiences of her entire life, and he was _apologizing_ for it? Men really _were_ clueless, weren't they? "Wh-why are you sorry?" She could barely force the words past the growing lump in her throat as a hot, tight little ball of disappointment settled into her stomach. She felt vaguely sick, trying to ignore the increasing urge to bolt out of there, before he said or did anything else to shatter the beautiful dream she'd somehow fallen into. She should have known it was too good to be true.

"I shouldn't have taken advantage like that," he said shortly. "I just … I lost my head." He slowly turned to face her, and seemed to realize, suddenly, how his words were affecting her. He slid closer as he sought to better explain himself. "I just can't believe that—I mean, I never realized anyone … that _you_—" He growled at his sudden inability to speak, running his hands through his mussed hair again. What had happened to all of that eloquence he was so proud of? His lips quirked into a wry smile, before he took a deep breath and tried again. "You know, I think I was wrong. That word. Friends?" He shook his head. "I don't think it's the right word, after all."

Her eyes widened and the leaden ball sank further into her stomach. She swallowed with difficulty, determined not to cry. At least, not in front of him. "Right. I get it," she mumbled, trying to stand, only his hand on hers stopped her.

"I somehow don't think so." His expression was … nervous. "Do you really believe friends is the right word to describe what's going on between us? During that … that _moment_. No, even before then. Don't tell me you didn't feel it, too. You _had_ to have."

She was blushing profusely, tried to answer that, yes, she was definitely feeling _something_ for him. Her words were silenced, though, when his thumb pressed to her mouth, was replaced by soft lips. She shuddered and leaned into him before he withdrew, bright passion sparking in his eyes. "I'm starting to realize that 'friends' hardly _begin__s_ to describe what I feel for you," he murmured, still so close that she could feel the static heat of his lips.

"But we've only been friends for a few minutes," she pointed out, trying to think clearly around the fog in her head.

"I know," he replied.

"And before that we hated each other!"

"I never hated you, Usa," he breathed, and she felt a sharp thrill at this new nickname.

"But, you didn't like me very much."

"No. I just didn't know you. The real you. The beautiful, loving, forgiving you that only an idiot could ever dislike."

"So, you admit you're an idiot? I want that in writing," she joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood, and was rewarded with a somewhat breathless laugh. "And funny," he added, giving her ponytail a teasing yank.

"You don't have to sound so surprised about it." She wrinkled her nose, then sobered. "So, what does this make us then?" she asked on a whisper. "You say friends isn't right."

"Do you think it is?" he returned.

She lowered her gaze and, after a moment, shook her head. "But … I don't know if … _more_ is right, either," she admitted.

"Maybe not. But it could be." He kissed her hand. "It could be so _much_ more, if you're willing to try. It probably won't be easy. There will be obstacles, we might still argue, and maybe things won't work out. But … I'm willing to take the chance. Are you?"

She hesitated, nodded slowly, and sighed as he pulled her back into his arms. Something was definitely there. That connection, that sense of recognition which she now realized he'd felt all this time, too. Neither of them could yet define it. It reached beyond friendship, beyond passion. It was thrilling. It was _terrifying_. But, whatever it was, it was _theirs_, and it was worth taking any risk to keep it close. So they sat together on the bench, exchanging kisses and secrets, held each other as they watched the sun setting across the lake, and rejoiced in the simple miracle of being what they were.

_~A Beginning~_

* * *

_Eh. Not sure if I'm fond of the ending. But, it'll do._


	2. Secret Wishes

_AN 1: Just thought I'd mention, all of these fics are at least ten years old. A lot of heavy revision is being done on most of these stories, so posting will probably be slow. Patience is a virtue._

_AN 2: To avoid confusion, allow me to clarify yet again that each one of these chapters is a _stand-alone story_, originally posted separately on my page. I'm posting the whole collection into a single work for easier viewing, but they are still technically one-shots that are (for the most part) completely unrelated to each other. Most of them deal with the first several months between Usagi and Mamoru and their developing relationship._

_AN 3: This little fic was inspired by, of all things, a second grade reading activity paper. When I was a teachers aide, part of my job was copying papers for the teachers, and one of them was a short story with several missing words that the kids were supposed to fill in. The story itself was about two kids who just met and wanted to be friends, so they made kites and tied wishes onto the tail. Both of them wished that the other would be their best friend. I thought it was such an adorable idea, I had to borrow it and write my own version. So, credit goes to whoever came up with the original concept for a children's activity paper. While we're disclaiming, I don't own anything related to Sailor Moon, either. This story was written purely for fun, and it alone belongs to me._

_Rated PG_

* * *

_Summary: It's said that if you tie a secret wish onto the tail of a kite, and the wind takes it away, it will come true…_

* * *

_Secret Wishes  
__by Stormlight_

"Guys! I just heard about the neatest thing!" Usagi bounced into the arcade on Friday afternoon, where Ami, Rei, and Makoto were already seated at one of the booths. They all glanced up curiously as she raced toward them, tripping over a stray chair on the way and almost sending a hapless waitress tumbling into a garbage bin. "Sorry!" she called cheerfully as she unceremoniously shoved Rei to the other side of the bench to make more room for herself.

"Hey, watch it!" Rei yelped as she slid completely off and onto the floor. "Seriously, Odango-baka, why don't you ever watch what you're doing? You're a walking disaster!" she growled, hauling herself back onto the bench.

"Yeah, whatever." Usagi waved her off distractedly. "Anyhow, listen. Mama was telling me about this activity she used to do when she was a kid. She said she used to make kites—"

"Oooo, _kites_. Nobody's ever thought of making _those_ before," Rei cut in snidely, still miffed.

"I'm _getting_ to that, if you'll just shut up and _listen_." Usagi glared at her, then continued, "Next, she'd write secret wishes on slips of paper, and tie them onto the tail of the kite and fly it. If the wind took the wishes from the kite's tail, they'd come true. She swears it works!"

"That's actually a cute idea," Makoto said, brightening.

"It does … kind of sound like fun," Rei admitted grudgingly, and even logical Ami seemed intrigued by the idea.

"I thought so, too!" Usagi's eyes sparkled as she giggled and whispered behind her hand, "Wouldn't it be fun to make our own kites and write wishes on them? Maybe you could wish for a new boyfriend, right, Mako-chan?"

Makoto blushed a little, but didn't bother to answer; her eyes had been drawn to somebody who had just walked up to their booth, standing behind Usagi. Ami shot her a concerned look, opened her mouth in warning. Before she could get a word out, a deep, patronizing voice cut in, "I think that's probably the silliest thing I've ever heard."

Usagi stiffened, hands clenching into fists on the table. Her cheeks flushed dull pink, even as she scowled. "Nobody asked _you_, Mamoru-baka," she huffed, not bothering to turn around.

Mamoru chuckled and leaned over the bench, resting his arms on the back of it as he tilted his head down for a better look at Usagi. This brought his face only inches from hers, and she turned her head to fix him with a withering glare, only to end up staring straight into deep, blue eyes. Her breath caught on a choked gasp. Her heart skipped strangely at their close proximity, and the blush crept higher into her cheeks. He didn't seem to notice as he continued, "I'm just pointing out the truth. It was probably just a story. There's no way you can make wishes come true just by writing them out and letting them hang off a kite. It's not logical."

"Of course it's not _logical_, idiot," she snapped. "They're wishes! And they do so come true! Mama told me it was how she met Papa. She wished to meet him, and the next day, she did!" Mamoru still looked skeptical, but Usagi held up a hand to silence him. "I don't care what you say. Nobody invited _you_ in on this conversation, anyhow, so just leave!"

Mamoru quirked a smile. "Hmm. I bet the reason you want to try this so badly is so you can wish for a boyfriend yourself, right, Odango?" he teased. "You can't get one any other way."

Usagi's face flushed even darker, her eyes snapping blue fire, but before she could say anything, Motoki called from the counter, and Mamoru stood up and turned to leave. "Good luck, Odango," he tossed over his shoulder as he strolled away. "You'll definitely need it!"

"Drop dead!" she hollered, before turning around in her seat and slouching into it with a scowl. Three pairs of eyes fixed intently on her, making her squirm. "What?" she snapped.

"You like him, don't you?" Makoto asked bluntly. Her reply was a resounding thud as Usagi hit the floor, twitching slightly. Makoto blinked down at her as Rei and Ami exchanged amused glances. "Did I say something wrong?"

* * *

Sunday morning found the girls sitting around a picnic table in the park, scraps of colorful tissue paper blowing around them in what was turning into a very breezy day. It was a perfect day to fly kites.

"Somebody explain to me why it was such a good idea to try and make these things out here in the wind?" Rei growled as she struggled to hold her kite down and tie the tail onto it at the same time. "Whose stupid idea was this, anyhow?"

"Quit whining. You're starting to sound like me!" Usagi teased as she attached string onto her kite's rods. The rice paper she'd used was a beautiful royal purple with a pale scroll pattern. She had finished her kite the fastest, but she had to admit, it didn't look quite like she'd expected. The sticks holding the shape together were somewhat lopsided, and the form wasn't quite like a diamond so much as a crooked box, but she was sure it would still fly. It would still carry her wishes into the sky so the wind would take them and make them come true.

She fingered the four little slips of pink tissue paper in her pocket, each with a wish written on it. The exact _same_ wish written on each piece. She didn't think it was cheating to wish for the same thing four times over. It was all she actually wanted, after all. Well … aside from getting a passing grade on her next English test, but that wasn't _nearly_ as important as getting a certain black-haired, blue-eyed jerk to like her.

_He doesn't even have to _like me_ like me,_ she thought. That would have been great, but if Mamoru would be just a little nicer to her, maybe be her friend, she could be satisfied with only that. Being just his friend was far from what she _really_ wanted, of course, but she didn't want to jinx herself by asking for too much, too soon. Even wishes had their limits, after all.

"Hey, Odango, are you just gonna sit there all day, or are you gonna fly your kite? This was _your_ idea, remember." Rei gave her friend a sharp jab in the side with her elbow, and Usagi yelped and snapped out of her daydream, glaring briefly at the priestess.

"I'm coming! Don't get your panties in a twist," she grumbled. "Just turn around or something. I don't want you to see my wishes!"

"How come?" Makoto teased. "Don't you want us to see the name of the guy you wrote? I bet I can take three guesses and get it right on the first try. His name begins with 'Mamo' and ends with 'Ru'. Right?"

"H-huh?" Usagi squeaked, eyes wide. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Of course you don't." Ami's aqua eyes twinkled with mischief. "We'll just be over here flying our kites while you tie the name that _isn't_ Mamoru-san's onto yours."

"Guys!" Usagi wailed as Ami skipped away, Rei and Makoto following with knowing little smirks. She sighed—Really, she should have known she'd never be able to hide her crush from those three—and took out her wishes to tie them carefully to the kite's tail. Then she joined her friends and let it go.

To her relief, the kite did fly, even if it spun rather crazily as it ascended into the sky. The wind took it immediately, pulling it higher as she let out more string, and she laughed with delight as it joined the other three kites already there.

The friends exclaimed and laughed as, one by one, their wishes tore loose and spun away. But Usagi was frowning slightly as she watched her own wishes, all of which continued to stubbornly cling to the tail of her kite.

Ami noticed, and gave her friend a cheerful smile. "It'll be fine," she encouraged. "They'll come off eventually."

"Yeah," Usagi agreed softly, her eyes still fixed on the slips of fluttering paper. Her excitement was fading slowly with each passing moment. And when the last scrap of paper flitted from Rei's tail and disappeared, her heart sank entirely. Now all of their wishes had been taken, except hers.

"Maybe you just tied them on too tight," Rei suggested in that gruff manner which meant she was concerned and trying hard not to show it. "Just bring it down and loosen the knots a little."

"I can't." Usagi hung her head. "It doesn't work that way. If I bring it down now, the wishes won't come true. Once the kite's up, it has to stay there until the wishes are taken. If they aren't … they won't be granted."

They exchanged uneasy glances; Usagi sounded on the verge of tears. This was really important to her, and they were slowly coming to realize just _how_ important. Makoto brought down her kite and threw a comforting arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Maybe if you shake the string a little, it'll jar something loose?" she suggested. "Here, like this." She reached out to give the string a couple of sharp yanks.

The kite immediately spun out of control, hurling crazily to earth as they looked on in stricken silence. When it hit the hard ground with a loud crack, Usagi actually shuddered. Makoto gasped, her face paling with horror. "Usagi-chan, I'm so sorry! I was only trying to help! I didn't mean—"

"It's okay, Mako-chan," Usagi interrupted. "I know you didn't mean it." She swallowed as she walked over to her kite, picking up the pieces. The rods holding it together had broken in the middle, and it hung limply in her hands. The wishes were still firmly affixed to its tail. Her face darkened, and she abruptly tossed the kite into a nearby garbage can. Then, forcing a bright smile, she turned to her silent friends and added cheerfully, "It was a silly idea, anyhow. I just thought it would be fun to try. No big deal!"

"Right." Makoto gave a firm nod. "That's right, Usagi-chan! I mean, where would I get the money to buy my own restaurant, anyway? When would I have time to run it? A-and if I want a guy, I can meet Mr. Right on my own. I don't need divine intervention for that!"

"Yes," Ami added. "And I know the only way for me to afford a new computer is to save my money and buy it. It won't simply drop into my lap."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Rei, who blinked back owlishly. "What?" she asked defensively. "No way am I giving away _my_ wishes—Ow!"

Makoto glared as she retracted her elbow.

"Um … that is … Yuuchirou is kind of an idiot, anyway. I can definitely do better than him," the priestess mumbled with a light blush, rubbing her bruised side.

"_Ah-hah_!" Usagi crowed, turning on Rei and pointing excitedly. "I knew it! You _do_ have a thing for Yuuchirou! Admit it! What did you wish for? Did you wish for him to hold your hand and ask you on a date?"

"Usagi…" Rei growled warningly.

"I know! I bet you wished for him to take you into his arms and kiss the breath out of you!" Usagi continued, oblivious to her friend's growing temper. She threw her arms around herself and proceeded to make loud kissing noises at the air, accompanied by several hilarious faces. Then, hearing the low growl directly behind her, realizing belatedly that her life was in jeopardy, she squealed with laughter and took off running, Rei roaring at her heels.

Makoto and Ami grinned at each other, glad to see Usagi back to normal—Well, as normal as she ever got, anyway—and gathered the supplies and remaining kites before following their friends out of the park.

Unnoticed by any of them, a dark-haired young man approached the abandoned picnic table, noting a few remaining scraps of paper still caught in the splintered wood. Having been passing by, and subsequently overhearing much of their conversation, he now paused beside the garbage can and picked up the broken kite inside. Brow scrunching curiously, he wondered what had been so important to have put such a despondent expression on the little Odango's face. He unfastened one of her wishes from the tail and unfolded it, reading silently as blue eyes slowly grew wide with astonishment.

"Tsukino Usagi wishes for Chiba Mamoru to like her."

Clutching the crumpled paper tightly in his hand, Mamoru gazed after the fleeing girls as a small smile tugged at his lips. Sighing softly, he let his gaze travel upward, watching clouds scud across the brilliant sky.

He had the craziest urge to fly a kite.

_Finis_

* * *

_There is actually an entire second part to this story, but while editing, I came to this spot and realized it was just the _perfect_ place to end it. So, I did._

_As for the other half, I have no intention of throwing it out. It will instead be getting put into its own story, as a sequel, which may or may not be posted directly after this one. We'll see._


	3. Yes

_This story is set in the R season, directly after the Doom Tree series but before Chibi-Usa arrives with that whole messy breakup plot._

_Rated PG._

* * *

_Summary: Usagi contemplates her relationship with Mamoru, and wonders. Even destined soul mates have their doubts sometimes…_

* * *

_"Yes"  
__by Stormlight_

Usagi allowed her eyes to slip closed as she listened to the gentle lapping of the waves against the boat, resting her head on her arm and letting the fingers of her free hand dangle into the water. She flicked them playfully when a carp took a curious nibble, startling the fish back into the depths of the lake with a bright flash of red and white scales. The setting sun cast a glimmering trail across the tranquil surface, turning the water to liquid gold. Sighing contentedly, she peeked from between long lashes to let her gaze rest upon the handsome face of her companion, Chiba Mamoru. Her worst enemy and the greatest love of her life.

Maybe it was a contradiction in terms, but it certainly did fit their relationship, she mused as she admired his sun-lit profile, watched him turn the page of the physics book he was reading. She wrinkled her nose; always the bookworm, just like Ami-chan. Even here, on their very first date, he insisted on studying for the exam coming up in two days, oblivious to the world around him. It was fine with her, because that was just how he was, and she loved everything about him. Even his annoying study habits.

Although … at the moment, she had to admit they were becoming _slightly_ more annoying than they were endearing.

Sighing again, she shifted slightly and lifted her hand out of the water, playfully flicking the droplets off her fingers at him. One hit him on the eye, making him blink and glance up in surprise. She grinned and stuck out her tongue, and he smiled back, shaking his head slightly.

"Only one more chapter," he said, regarding her fondly. "After that, I'm all yours, Usako."

She melted; she loved it when he called her Usako. It sure beat his _other_ nickname. Grinning, she turned her attention back to the water, unaware of how his deep cerulean gaze rested on her a moment longer, his expression soft and unguarded in his study. With another smile that spoke of absolute contentment, he turned back to his reading.

Usagi eventually dozed off to the gentle rocking of the boat, the water providing its own soothing lullaby. And as she dozed, she dreamed.

A young couple, laughing and happy as they strolled, a small child skipping between them. The little girl bounced ahead, giggling and turning pirouettes like a ballerina, and Usagi smiled at the sight. The couple moved closer together as the man wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. It was obvious they were deeply in love, and Usagi felt a deep tug of longing. Would that be her one day, she wondered as she watched the woman being wrapped in the strong embrace of her beloved. Would she someday be part of a family like that? Would her family be Mamo-chan?

She liked to think so; they were soul mates, after all, and not even death could tear them apart, although it had certainly tried. But she had so many doubts. Doubts that she managed to keep at bay when she was awake, but now, in her dreams, they began to crowd close around her, looming and threatening to drown her in sorrow more oppressive and terrifying than any youma had ever been. _You're only a child,_ they taunted. _Immature, weak__, __clumsy__ and a __coward__. Chiba Mamoru is too good for __you. You know it! You know t__he only reason he__'s with you __is because __you're __the reincarnat__ion of his __princess! It __is _she_whom __he truly loves._

"That's not true!" Usagi wailed, cowering beneath the shadows the heavy thoughts cast over her. "He loves _me_, not her. He loves me for myself!"

_Does he?_ the voices mocked. _When did he fall in love? When did he ever profess __such __love for you, before he discovered who you __were__? When did he _ever_ say, "I love Tsukino Usagi"?_

She remained silent and stricken, because she had no answer.

She woke with a start, eyes snapping open to gaze blindly into the water. The arm her head rested on was wet, and her cheeks felt cool and damp. Tears, she realized, hastily scrubbing at her eyes before Mamoru noticed. She really was a crybaby, wasn't she? Luckily, she hadn't been sleeping long, and he was still absorbed in his studies.

She gazed at him intently, studying his face as though to discern the answers her heart sought in his very features. What _did_ he see in her, anyway? The princess was elegant, graceful, and mature. Everything a princess was supposed to be. But she, Usagi, was nothing of the sort. She had very little in common with her past self, and even less with Mamoru. He loved to study, while she detested anything related to schoolwork. He was quiet and serious and smart, and she was … well … she _wasn't_.

Mamoru seemed to sense her gaze; he suddenly glanced up and met her eyes. His own immediately widened, startled at the sight of her tear-stained face, and as he sat up the book fell from his lap into the bottom of the boat, forgotten. "Usako, what's the matter?" he asked in concern, moving to sit beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently held her, smoothing her hair. "Shhh. Shhh, it's okay. Don't cry," he soothed. "Are you having a horrible time? I'm sorry. I didn't realize—"

"Idiot. That's not it," she sniffled, smiling a little despite herself. "I was just … dreaming, I guess. That's all. Don't worry, I'm _fine_."

He appeared unconvinced. "It must have been a pretty sad dream, to bring tears to your eyes," he replied softly. "Can you tell me what's wrong? How can I help?"

She hesitated, suddenly torn between throwing herself against him and pouring out her heart, or running as far from him as possible to protect it. Even if she doubted his love for her, she did not doubt her own love for him. She had loved him long before she'd discovered he was her hero, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, or her long-lost Prince Endymion. She had loved him almost from the day she'd met him, and knew it would kill her if she discovered he'd never really loved her back.

"Usa?" Mamoru prodded, clearly wanting her to talk to him.

She shivered slightly and closed her eyes. But … maybe the _not_ knowing was even worse, she thought sadly. How could she refuse him, anyway, when he looked at her like that? She took a deep breath, released it slowly. "Our relationship has been strange from the very beginning, hasn't it, Mamo-chan?" she asked softly, leaning her head against his shoulder and letting her fingers twine with his.

"How do you mean?" His voice betrayed his uncertainty; strangely, it gave her more courage.

"Well, we used to hate each other, for one thing." She let the ghost of a smile cross her face. "You always called me names, I always got mad at you for it, and I would've bet anything that we'd end up killing each other before actually falling in _love._ It's just hard to believe that two completely different people could be destined for each other."

"Well, they do say opposites attract." Mamoru gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "And I admit I'm pretty attracted to you," he teased, attempting to lighten the mood.

She smiled weakly, but it slipped away again. "But what part of me are you attracted to, Mamo-chan?" she asked seriously.

"What? I don't understand what you—" He stopped, because, suddenly, he _did_ understand.

"What part of me," she repeated softly, "are you attracted to? Is it Princess Serenity? You've always claimed to love her, and I know she loved Prince Endymion dearly." She paused and swallowed around the growing lump in her throat; he remained silent. "But I'm not Serenity anymore, Mamo-chan, and you're not Endymion. I'm Tsukino Usagi, and I'm not in love with the prince. I'm in love with _you_, and I always have been, way before the princess or her prince showed up."

He regarded her steadily, his expression still. Even his eyes were shaded. "So what is the problem?" he whispered.

She drew in a shuddering breath. "It's just, up until then, you seemed to really hate me. It felt like everything I did disgusted you, or made you angry, or irritated you, and I never tried very hard to change your mind about me. I just made myself believe we hated each other, and that was that. But then… Oh, everything happened all at once! It's still so confusing!"

She laughed a little, through the tears that once again flooded her eyes. "First, I found out about your life, growing up alone. All of a sudden, I was seeing you in a whole new light, and for the first time I started to think you aren't just the rude jerk I always told myself you were."

He tried to speak, but she didn't give him the chance. "Then I discovered you were Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she pressed on, "and even though I was surprised, I was also glad it was you. And then came the battle with Zoisite, and the princess was revealed and all her memories were restored, and I discovered that you were really my soul mate, all along. And I thought for sure things would change between us then! But, I'd barely gotten you back again before Beryl took you, and for awhile, it was worse than ever."

"But you healed me in the end. You restored me to myself," he reminded her softly.

"Yes," she replied, "and then we died. And we forgot each other. And when Luna gave me back my memories, it was so _hard_ to watch you go on without yours. Prince Endymion didn't remember his princess anymore. And Chiba Mamoru hated Tsukino Usagi, just like before."

"I _never_ hated you, Usako," Mamoru whispered. "You had to have known that."

"I did." She raised beseeching eyes to his. "But, Mamoru, before everything happened … did you ever truly _love_ me?"

The boat rocked slightly as Mamoru shifted his weight from his seat to kneel before her, cupping her face gently in his big hands to gaze into her eyes, his own filled with warmth and passion as he lowered his head to tenderly kiss each small tear from her face. Soft lips trailed over her flushed cheeks, her closed eyelids. His arms slipped around her, gently cradling her as though she was the most fragile treasure. And for a moment, she thought she might indeed break from the strength of the love she held for this man.

Then he lifted his head, and before she could say a word he captured her mouth in a kiss that set fire raging through her blood. He had never kissed her like this before, with so much heat, so much _feeling_. She was overwhelmed by the force of it. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because she surely would have fallen overboard.

_But he ha__s__n't __answer__ed__your __question,_ a tiny voice nagged, as doubt tried yet again to creep its way into her heart.

As though sensing this, Mamoru finally drew away, and she found herself lost in his deep, soulful gaze. His eyes glittered, too, filled with unshed tears as his lips moved to form a single word.

"Yes."

For the first time fully accepting the love one lonely man could hold for one childish young woman, Usagi finally banished all doubt from her heart, for that single word was the only truth she needed.

_Finis_


	4. Secret Wishes: Revelations

_Here we are, the sequel to Secret Wishes. Rated PG13._

* * *

_Secret Wishes: Revelations_

Usagi woke at the crack of eleven-thirty AM, just like every other Sunday morning, hastily bathed and dressed in a pair of black leggings and a pale pink sweater. Downing a "breakfast" consisting of a doughnut and a glass of milk, she bid her mother farewell and skipped out the door. The wind was howling; it threatened to bowl her over, and she giggled and leaned back, tempted to see if it would hold her up all on its own. She loved days like this, with a brilliant sun and crystalline sky dotted with fluffy clouds. It would be a perfect day to go kite-flying … if she hadn't recently lost her taste for such activities.

Briefly, her thoughts returned to the failed kite-flying experiment of a week ago and her wish that would never be granted. Her lips pulled into a little frown. But, never one to stay melancholy for long, she shook off the memory and determined to enjoy her day. She _was_ supposed to meet her friends at the temple, for one of their oh-so-important meetings, but she still had plenty of time for a quick game of Sailor V (or three), and one of Motoki's delicious drinks at the Crown arcade.

She made it to her usual haunt in record time, spotting Motoki at his customary station behind the counter, blending fruit and frozen yogurt together as he filled customer orders. Even this early in the day, the place was packed. "What a day!" she exclaimed, slipping onto a stool at the counter. "I thought for a moment I was gonna end up flying!"

Motoki chuckled as he took in Usagi's flushed cheeks and windblown hair. "How about a cup of hot chocolate? You look like could use it."

"Sure, that sounds perfect!"

She busied herself with finger-combing the tangles out of her hair while he poured the drink into a tall latte mug. He added two fat marshmallows, a healthy dollop of whipped cream, and some chocolate sprinkles to top it off. "Here you go. Just how you like it." He pushed the drink toward her.

"Thanks!" She took a cautious sip, sighed blissfully as the warm cocoa slid down her throat; when she set the mug down, a dab of cream dotted her nose.

Motoki chuckled. "Good thing Mamoru-kun isn't here. He'd have something to say about that right now," he teased, handing the blushing girl a napkin.

"When _doesn't_ he have something to say?" she grumbled, taking a bite out of a melting marshmallow. "Where is he, anyhow? I haven't seen him around lately. Which is a good thing!" she hastily added, lest anyone get the wrong idea.

A sly smile crossed Motoki's face. He slid her a sidelong glance. "Well, we _were_ supposed to have a study session today, but he called me just a bit ago and said something about the park, a kite, and he wouldn't make it so to postpone until later."

Usagi nearly choked on her cocoa. She looked at Motoki with wide eyes. "Did … you just say he's flying a kite at the park?" she wheezed.

"Yup." Motoki raised a questioning brow. "This wouldn't have anything to do with what you girls were talking about last Friday, would it?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna go find out!" She finished her drink in three large gulps, almost scalding her throat. "The nerve of him! Telling me it's a silly idea, and then going and _stealing_ it from me! I've got a few things to say about that," she huffed as she threw money on the counter, a big grin etched across her face that seemed completely at odds with her complaint.

Motoki chuckled as he watched her dart away, pulling his phone from his pocket and pressing speed dial. "Hey, it's me." His grin widened as he carried Usagi's empty mug to the kitchen for washing. "Just letting you know, she's on her way."

* * *

Mamoru was in the park, all right. In fact, he was at the exact same picnic table Usagi and her friends had used the week before. Her eyes widened and she glanced at the garbage can. How often did those things get emptied? What if her kite was still in there? If Mamoru happened to glance in and see it, and got curious… She gulped, and gave her head a hard shake. No way! It had already been a week, and surely the trash had been emptied several times over by then! There was no way her kite was still there.

She slowed to a walk as she approached him, sneaking up quietly. She could see him writing something on several slips of paper. "Hey!" she yelled gleefully, poking him in the sides with her fingers. He yelped in surprise, dropping his pen and making her laugh. "Caught you red-handed!" she crowed, jumping around to grin smugly into his startled face. "Thought you'd get away with stealing my 'silly' idea, huh? Guess it isn't so silly, after all! So what are _you_ wishing for? A new personality, maybe?"

She braced herself for scowls and biting remarks, and was greatly surprised when he merely smiled, instead. "I was wondering when you'd show up," he said casually, nodding at the bench beside him. "Care to have a seat?"

Usagi blinked at him, stunned speechless. For all of five seconds. Deciding that he just needed some more goading, she grinned and teased, "See? I told you this worked. You didn't even put your wish up yet, and you're already showing signs of a better personality!"

Mamoru chuckled. "That's not what I'm wishing for, Odango." When she bristled, he added, "How did your wishing go, anyway? Did it come true yet?"

She squeaked, and heat crept back into her cold cheeks as she gave a haughty toss of her head and stuck her nose in the air. "That's none of your business!"

His smile was unusually gentle as he regarded her. "So, Odango, I could actually use your help with something," he said.

Her eyes snapped to his, wide with surprise. "_You_ want _my_ help? With _what_?"

"Well, I'm not actually sure how to go about fastening these things onto the tail," he told her, holding up one of the fluttering scraps. "I thought, you being an expert and all, you could give me a couple of pointers." When she hesitated, clearly mistrustful, he added softly, "I really want this wish to come true, Usagi. Will you help me?"

The use of her actual name startled her, made her flush darken. After another moment, she advised, in a small voice, "Don't tie them on too tightly. Or the wind won't be able to take them."

"I understand." He reached over and, to her surprise, took one of her cold hands. Despite the brisk air, his hand was very warm. She gaped up at him as he lay one of the slips into her palm and closed her fingers over it. "Tie one on for me, so I can see how it's done," he instructed.

Her brow furrowed as she looked at the paper in her hand. "Well, first you fold it, like this." To demonstrate, she laid the slip out flat … and then she saw what he had written there.

_Chiba Mamoru wishes for Tsukino Usagi to love him._

Her heart slammed into her throat, cutting off all breath; in her complete shock, the paper fluttered from beneath her fingers and was swept away. "Wait!" she gasped, leaping to her feet to chase it, but a warm hand covering hers stilled her in her tracks.

"It doesn't matter," he told her softly. "It was only one wish. I have more." From the pocket of his blazer, he withdrew three more slips of white tissue paper. On each one, the exact same wish was printed in his neat handwriting. Usagi stared, not sure if she should scream, or cry, or simply start running as far away as possible. This had to be some kind of a joke! But when she dared look at him, there was no mocking in his gaze. His expression was serious, his eyes soft, and warm, and just a bit hopeful. He'd never looked at her with such an expression before. Sensing her confusion, he favored her with a smile. "Go ahead, Usagi-chan," he urged patiently. "You were saying…?"

Her mouth opened, closed again, as she sought to find words. "Um … I said … to fold it…" she mumbled, feeling like her head was going to implode, so hard was it pounding. She took another wish with trembling fingers and clumsily managed to fold it into a small fan. "And then you … tie it onto the string." She swallowed. "Loosely," she reminded him hoarsely. "Tie it loosely so the wind can take it." She managed to tie it onto the tail without too much trouble, although she didn't think her brain was participating much in the job. It was still back there, reading Mamoru's printed words, over and over.

Mamoru smiled as he watched Usagi attempting to tie his wish onto his kite, knowing she probably suspected some kind of joke. He tied the last two wishes onto the tail, but when she would have picked the kite up, his hand on hers stilled her. "Wait. We're not done yet. There are still some left."

"_More?_" she squeaked.

He smiled. "Well, it's a really important wish." From his other pocket, he removed four crumpled slips of pink tissue paper. Usagi sucked in a breath as she immediately recognized them.

"I always thought everyone deserves a second chance," Mamoru told her, voice soft as he tied the paper onto the tail. "It doesn't seem fair that such a beautiful wish doesn't have a chance to come true, because the wisher held onto it too tightly before. So, I think we should ask the wind to give it another chance. And, just for added luck…" He picked up his pen and carefully wrote one final wish on the kite's surface:

_Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru wish to __spend their lives together__._

She made a little sound in her throat as he picked up the large kite. It was made of immaculate white rice paper, marred only by the lines of red ink, and one couldn't help noticing that the frame was straight and exacting, the string attached in just the right places, the shape a perfect diamond. It was clear that its creator had spent much time carefully planning and executing its flawless construction. It was a stark contrast to Usagi's own poor little kite.

Mamoru took her hand, pulling her gently out to the field. He moved behind her, chest against her back as his arms came around her to hold the kite in front of them both. "This is our kite," he murmured into her ear. His warm breath shivered over her body. "It contains both of our wishes. So we should release it together."

She gingerly grasped the edges of the kite, almost afraid to touch it. Mamoru counted off, and on three, they tossed it into the air. The strong breeze immediately took it, bearing it upwards with powerful gusts as Mamoru released the string. He took Usagi's hand and placed it over his on the string, and they watched the kite soar. Rather, she watched, unmoving, as the kite dipped and swayed gracefully. Mamoru simply watched her, the way the sunlight played off her soft hair and lit her brilliant eyes and beautiful features.

She sucked in a sudden breath, and his gaze jerked skyward in time to see a pale flutter as one of the seven wishes on the tail suddenly freed itself and flashed away. A small grin tugged at his lips. From that distance, he couldn't tell its color, but it didn't really matter. "That's one," he murmured, nuzzling her ear softly. She jumped in response, and he heard her swallow noisily. Then another wish slipped free of its restraint and was borne away. "And two." He hid his smile in her hair. "One for each of us," he teased.

She didn't reply, eyes still fixed on the kite. It seemed she wouldn't be satisfied until all of the wishes were gone. That was fine, because neither would he. Then two more wishes were snatched by the wind. As they vanished into the blue of the sky, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes brightened a little more. She still didn't speak, as though afraid words might break the spell.

Another wish broke free, and then one more. His face split into a wide grin, and he wrapped his free arm around Usagi in a loose hug. "One more left," he murmured in her ear, making her squirm against him, like a three-year-old simply bursting to jump up and run when she knows she needs to sit still for only another moment.

Breathlessly, they watched the final wish fluttering on the end of the kite's tail, stubbornly refusing to let go. Usagi folded her hands together under her chin, as though praying, but Mamoru was calm as he watched the wish. He knew exactly how this was going to turn out.

Then the wind picked up with a shriek and tore the remaining wish free, bearing it triumphantly into the clouds as the kite danced crazily in its wake, nearly plummeting toward earth before righting itself. Usagi's jaw dropped, and she made an odd little choking noise before her hands came up to cover her mouth. Her wide eyes lifted until they met a deep, cerulean gaze, and she slowly turned to face him, trembling.

Two warm hands came up to clasp Usagi's cold little fingers and lower them from her mouth. Mamoru smiled at her warmly as he gazed down at her half-delighted, half-terrified face. "You're shivering." He let his thumb caress down her reddened cheek.

"I'm cold," she whispered; not quite a lie. She hesitated, not sure what to say next. It felt like a dream, where everything moved in slow motion and time seemed to have no hold over anything. Any second now, he was going to drop her hands and step back, start howling with laughter at how gullible she was. He must have seen her uncertainty, for he moved even closer, and his other arm slid around her waist to embrace her fully, drawing her to him. He cupped the back of her head to play with the little curls of hair at her nape. Her trembling increased, and the bite in the air had nothing to do with it.

She watched with a dazed sort of detachment as his head lowered, her eyes falling to his lips, mere centimeters from hers. Not for the first time, she thought about how soft they looked, and wondered what it would be like to kiss them. And in another moment, she found herself doing exactly that as they pressed to hers in a kiss that made her whole body feel as warm and languid as the whipped cream melting into her cocoa. His mouth was indeed soft. Exquisitely soft, and very, very warm as it caressed hers with such tender passion that she felt she might die from the feelings his touch invoked.

A long, heady moment and he finally withdrew just enough to meet her dazed eyes. "Usako," he whispered huskily, and she started in surprise at this entirely new nickname, wondering if she'd misheard. His mouth curled into a soft smile at her astonishment. "It's all right, Usako," he murmured. "Don't be uneasy."

"I-I'm not," she mumbled, her gaze sliding away.

He sighed, resting his forehead against her temple. "Now I feel like a jerk." He gave a breathless laugh. "You must be a little confused, huh?"

Her answering silence spoke volumes.

He nuzzled at her ear, kissed it softly. "Would it help if I told you I honestly love you?"

She met his eyes; hers glowed with delight and doubt in equal measure. "R-really? Since when?"

"Who can say?" He shrugged. "At some point, I just realized that the annoying little busybody who kept hitting my head with shoes and test papers was really … somebody pretty incredible. Somebody who is definitely worth keeping around for awhile. I was thinking … for the rest of my life, maybe." He offered a small grin. "Fact is, you never needed to wish for my love, Usako. You've had it for a long time now."

"Wh-why didn't you ever _say_ anything? Why keep teasing me all the time?"

"Why didn't you ever tell _me_?" he returned.

"Because you'd just make fun of me and then things would be … _weird_! I didn't want that," she cried.

"And neither did I." He chuckled. "As much as you didn't need to wish for me to love you, I'm glad you did. If I hadn't found your kite, I'd never have found the courage to tell you how I really feel. Nothing would have changed between us, and we'd both have kept dancing around each other like that until we were old and gray."

She gazed up at him a moment, and then her lips curled into a small grin. "Just remember who said it first."

"Hmmm." His eyes lidded as he cocked his head to one side. "Wouldn't that be me? You haven't actually said the words yet, have you?"

Oh. He had a point. She felt her cheeks warm.

"Usako?" he prompted, his eyes hopeful. She looked at her feet, suddenly tongue-tied. Felt him nudge at her chin. "You won't say it? Do you still not trust me?" He sounded … hurt.

She gathered a deep breath and forced herself to meet his worried gaze. "I … I love you … Mamo-chan," she offered shyly, and found herself immediately drawn back into his arms as he heaved a sigh of relief. "Don't _scare_ me like that," he scolded, prompting a giggle that abruptly ended when he caught her smiling lips in another passionate kiss … which lasted a good deal longer than the first one.

And as the new lovers embraced, they never noticed the white, glowing diamond—forgotten by the both of them—disappear into the sky, bearing their final wish on the back of the wind.

~~_Finish_~~


	5. Never Look Back

_Another old story, and this one is pretty long. 21 pages and over 11,000 words! I considered putting it by itself, but in the end decided to add it to this collection. This is definitely rated PG13 for excessive waff. Please enjoy._

* * *

_Never Look Back  
_

She was leaving.

Chiba Mamoru eavesdropped shamelessly as he watched Usagi talking animatedly with Motoki, sitting a few feet away from him at the Sailor V game. From his vantage point—safely hidden behind the all-popular crane game—he was able to make out snatches of their conversation over the noise of the arcade.

And what he heard did not please him at all.

"Leaving … America … Papa's job … long time…"

Usagi sounded as young and excited as a child discussing Christmas presents, and Mamoru's hands clenched into fists as Motoki replied (with _way_ too much enthusiasm), "…wonderful time … opportunity … great experience … miss you…"

Wonderful _time?_ An _opportunity? _Was the man _insane?_ Mamoru growled deep in his throat as he glared at the back of his best friend's head. The guy was like a brother to him, but at the moment, he seriously wished he had the power to shoot laser beams from his eyeballs and incinerate Motoki on the spot. What was he thinking, wishing Usagi a bon voyage without so much as a whimper? How could he just let her go like that? It wasn't right! What kind of a friend was he, anyway?

And, Mamoru wondered uneasily, why the heck was _he_ getting so worked up over what _should_ be the greatest news of his life? Odango Atama was leaving! No more whining and wailing and ear-piercing shrieks of anger. No more flying test papers and food and shoes. Heaven's paradise was being offered up on a silver platter … and he was _mad_ about it?

Maybe he was sick.

Inwardly seething—although, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out _why_—Mamoru switched his glare from Motoki's back to the stuffed Tuxedo Kamen plush he'd just spent the last ten minutes and an obscene amount of money attempting to acquire. The little figure stared blankly up at the roof of its prison, where the claw hung threateningly over the pile of stuffed toys, awaiting its chance to snatch the next unsuspecting victim. Mamoru could have sworn the doll was smirking.

_ Oh yeah?_ he thought sourly. Well, he'd just show _it_ who was boss.

Shoving thoughts of Usagi's departure forcefully from his mind, he dropped another coin into the machine and maneuvered the claw until it hung directly over the doll's head. It was perfect. He couldn't get a better shot if he reached in there and grabbed it with his own hand. He punched the button to release the claw, and its shovel-like sides opened and dropped like a stone directly over the Chibi-Tuxedo Kamen.

Gears that were in dire need of oiling whined as the claw once more ascended, gripping its prize like a starving wolf on a fat turkey. Squeaking its way to the deposit box, it ever-so-slowly opened …and a little figure with yellow-yarn hair and a pink dress fell with a soft plop to the bottom of it.

He gaped, then released a frustrated curse and slammed his fist against the game's brightly-painted side. "This thing is _fixed_," he snarled, glaring at his elusive prey. Which still stared placidly up at the ceiling. It was _definitely_ smirking. "Next time," Mamoru growled in defeat, stalking to the counter for a much-needed caffeine hit.

Once he was holding a large cup of steaming black coffee, he let his gaze wander around the arcade, deliberately _not_ looking at Usagi, who still sat at the Sailor V game. Motoki had gone off to continue working, and she was currently engaged in a heated battle with electronic youma.

_Not looking!_ Mamoru forced his gaze away, but a moment later his eyes snapped back to her when she she released a sudden shriek. He saw Sailor V go into death throes, and the electronic notes of the funeral march drifted through the air. He smiled as she determinedly started over, but it faded as he recalled the conversation he'd overheard.

What was he going to do when his Odango Atama moved to America? How would he get by without her around to tease and harass and make his life a little brighter? Up until that point, he'd thought he didn't care one whit about the little ditz. He teased her because she annoyed him to death with her obnoxiously cheerful attitude. _Nobody_ had the right to be that happy, and he'd made it his personal mission to make sure she didn't abuse the privilege.

It had never occurred to him that she might one day _leave_ him. That he'd wake up one morning and she just wouldn't _be_ there anymore. No more unexpected run-ins on the street. No more flying insults (or shoes, for that matter). No more watching her pretty face flush with indignation as she glared up at him, radiating defiance. She made his long, boring days a little more interesting, gave him something to look forward to. And the thought of her vanishing from his life as suddenly as she had blown into it made his heart ache in a way it never had before; he found himself clutching at his chest, as if to force the hurt away.

Of course it didn't go, but he'd already suspected it wouldn't. He had the unpleasant notion that as long as Odango was far away from him, it would _never_ leave, and he'd be forced to spend the rest of his life enduring this dreadful heart-sickness. He closed his eyes, hand clenching into a fist on his thigh. _She can't go,_ came the grim thought. _I won't let her leave me like this._

As if he could stop her. Mamoru smiled, grimly amused by his thoughts. If her father had indeed been transferred to America, of course Usagi couldn't stay behind while her family left her. She was far too young. She didn't have a job, and Mamoru doubted she'd be able to keep one, given her random klutz attacks and her tendency to overreact to the least little issue. She'd be probably have a nervous breakdown inside a week. How could she support herself?

Aside from that, living by oneself was a lonely experience. He could personally attest to that. There was no way Usagi could survive without anyone around to keep her company. She'd probably wither away from loneliness and missing her family, no matter how many friends she surrounded herself with.

A sudden thought flashed through his mind. A mere inkling of an idea. _He_ lived all by himself, in a very large apartment. Well, not so large that he could shove in a second bed, but his bed was big enough for two people, and he had more than enough money to support even _her_ voracious appetite, and—Mamoru shoved the idea from his mind, feeling his face grow hot. _Easy, Chiba_. He wanted to kick himself for such thoughts. _That way madness lies!_

Not to mention the wrong end of a shotgun if he even dared suggest the Tsukino family's young, beautiful daughter—who hadn't even graduated _middle school_ yet—move into the apartment of a young, single, college-age man such as himself. Oh, that would go over _real_ well, he was sure.

Usagi suddenly jumped to her feet, startling him out of his thoughts. Her eyes went wide with alarm as she stared at her watch. She snatched up her bag, muttering an expletive that made Mamoru choke on his coffee. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he stared at her, wondering where on earth the girl had learned a word like _that_. Maybe she wasn't _quite_ as innocent as he'd always given her credit for.

As she turned to leave, their eyes inadvertently met. She saw the scandalized expression on his face; her own immediately bloomed with color as she realized he'd overheard the curse. She offered a sheepish grin and a shrug as she swung her bag over her shoulder. He continued to study her, realizing that it might be the last time he actually _saw_ her. He wanted to imprint her image on his memory so he'd never forget. Her expression turned questioning, just a little concerned, and he realized with a shock of embarrassment how utterly _creepy_ he was probably acting. He hastily donned his usual aloof, slightly-disdainful expression, raising an eyebrow and his coffee at her in a mock salute. The concern vanished in an instant, and she mouthed "baka" at him before turning to bolt from the arcade.

In doing this, she missed how the studied indifference dropped from Mamoru's expression on a deep sigh. She also missed the visage of longing and regret that took its place, because she never looked back.

* * *

Mamoru's dreams were restless that night, although no sooner had they mercilessly driven him from slumber than they slipped back into the recesses of his mind, probably vanishing into the same void where most of his childhood memories lay, lost and forgotten.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he rose on shaky legs to pad silently to the glass doors of his balcony. The moon hung full and round in the sky, and he gazed wistfully at it, taking a strange comfort in its presence. The moon, at least, would always be there.

He frowned at the melancholy turn his thoughts had taken, and the recollection of _why_ his dreams were so troubled. Once Usagi had gone, he'd sniffed out Motoki and had managed to pry some information out of him without looking _too_ suspicious. He'd discovered that his hunch was correct; his Odango was indeed leaving for America. The very next day, as a matter of fact. _Even less time than that, now,_ his brain reminded him cruelly. She was also just as excited to be going as he'd suspected. Probably because she'd finally be getting away from the guy who insisted on making her life a living hell.

Mamoru fisted his hand against the door and rested his forehead against it. The glass was chill from the night air, and he wore only a tank top and boxers, but he hardly noticed the cold. He was too busy kicking himself in the ass over missed opportunities.

Why hadn't he ever taken the chance to befriend her? He'd had so many chances! A kind word instead of an insult; a bit of encouragement when she failed a test, rather than criticizing and mocking her for her failure. Was it really so hard to treat her as any human being deserved to be treated?

_ It's different with her,_ Mamoru thought rebelliously. _Odango is … special._

Which was an even better reason why he should have been nicer!

Mamoru sighed, gave a self-mocking little laugh; his conscience was on a roll tonight! He could have spared her so much hurt, and maybe if he'd done so, he'd be her friend right now rather than her…

Rather than…

What _was_ he to her, anyway? Rival? Enemy? Somehow, neither of those words seemed to fit their unusual relationship. He didn't think she viewed him as either of those things. Then again, maybe that was only wishful thinking on his end.

It hardly mattered, anyway. She was leaving tomorrow—_Today,_ he corrected himself, glancing at his clock—and she was going to go thinking Mamoru hated her.

And that, he decided, was completely unacceptable.

"I _don't_ hate her," he mumbled, staring out over Tokyo's glittering lights. "I … care for her. A _lot_." He closed his eyes, picturing her face in his mind. Her beautiful, sunny, funny little face and all of its countless emotions. Which he would probably never see again. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, and he sucked in a shuddering breath. "I _love _her," he rasped, finally acknowledging the feeling for what it was. Why had it taken so long for him to _realize_? A bitter smile crossed his lips. Leave it to Mr. Punctuality to figure it all out _now_, when it was too late.

He again raised his eyes to the moon, only to discover that it had disappeared beneath a thick bank of black clouds that had rolled in out of nowhere, so that not even a glimmer of light could escape. A shiver of foreboding trembled up his spine; Mamoru wrapped his arms around himself and stumbled back to bed, where he fell once more into restless dreams.

* * *

Usagi squirmed excitedly as she waited with her parents and brother at the terminal of the Tokyo International Airport. She was going to America! To an entirely different country! She'd been wanting to visit America for so long, and now she was finally getting her chance, all thanks to her father's job! Sure, she'd miss her home, all her friends, but heck, it wasn't like she was visiting the _moon_ or anything.

"Hey." Her brother poked her sharply in the side, making her yip. "Usagi-baka, how come that weird guy keeps staring at you?"

"Huh?" Usagi followed the direction of his pointing finger, and her jaw abruptly hit the floor. Because Chiba Mamoru was standing there, panting slightly and looking as if he'd just finished running a marathon. His eyes were locked on her with predatory intensity, making her grow uncomfortably warm under her clothes. "Ma-Mamoru-san?" she squeaked, her eyes widening with astonishment.

"_Who is that?"_

_ Uh-oh. _Usagi glanced nervously at her father, who had also spotted the man and was glaring for all he was worth. "Papa, calm down," she pleaded, pulling on his sleeve. "You're making a scene!" She ignored Shingo's derisive snort from her other side.

"Now, Kenji, do sit down." Tsukino Ikuko, ever the voice of reason, tugged on her husband's hand until he reluctantly took his seat. "Remember your blood pressure! Usagi-chan, why don't you invite the young man over and introduce us?" And she waved Mamoru over to them.

_"Mama__,"_ Usagi hissed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "That's _Chiba Mamoru._" At Ikuko's blank look, she prompted, "That guy from the arcade I'm always complaining about. _Remember?_"

Ikuko pressed a finger to her lips. "I thought you _liked_ the young man from the arcade?"

"Who?" Kenji yelped, face going red.

"_Mamaaa_, that's Motoki-onii-san!" Usagi whined. "Don't you ever listen when I talk to you?"

Ikuko's expression cleared. "Ah, I remember. Yes, of course! You never told me Mamoru-san was so _handsome_, though." she giggled.

"_Mama!_" Usagi gripped a ponytail in each hand and yanked.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to have to start calling you Baldy, instead," a low, deep voice gently admonished her.

She squeaked and looked up at Mamoru's towering form. "What are you _doing_ here?" she demanded. "Are you stalking me?"

He flushed. "Uh … Motoki told me where you were," he mumbled, scratching his head.

She stared at him, baffled. "And you came because…?"

"Odang—Er, Usagi-chan, I need to speak with you." He looked equal parts embarrassed and determined, casting a quick glance at her parents; Ikuko was physically restraining her husband with a light grip on his arm. Kenji looked less than happy to see him. Shingo, however, was leaning so far out of his seat that he actually fell out of it. "Privately," Mamoru added with slight amusement. He reached out to take Usagi's hand in a light grip, pulling her from her seat and away from her family. She was so dazed, she didn't even think to protest.

"Don't be too long! Our flight will be here soon," Ikuko called, waving them along.

Mamoru relaxed and offered a grateful nod, gently tugging Usagi further away to a section of empty seats. Lowering her into a plastic chair behind a tall plant, out of the sight of her parents, he took the one directly beside her and attempted to speak his heart. "Usagi," he began, voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and licked his dry lips, started again. "Usagi, I—There's something I need to say to you before you leave." He took a deep breath, raking long fingers through already-mussed black hair. "I know we haven't gotten off on the right foot, but I was wondering … I mean…" He sighed and lowered his head. "This is even harder than I thought it would be," he muttered. He wasn't a man who often spoke his mind. Especially about matters such as _this_.

A soft, warm little hand rested gently against his. Usagi's sweet voice drifted to his ears. "Just relax and say what you can, Mamoru-san," she said kindly, her eyes concerned.

Mamoru could have kissed her. He blinked at the thought, breath momentarily catching. Oh, sweet temptation…

No, no. First things first. Time was running out and he had a lot to say. Her concern for him was touching, and gave him a boost of much-needed courage. He reached over and gripped her hands, massaging them between his fingers gently. "Usagi-chan, first I need to apologize for every hurtful thing I ever said to you," he told her earnestly, daring to meet her gaze. "I've been cruel and I know it. I have no excuse. But I never want to hurt you like that again. Will you forgive me for that?"

"Mamoru-san…" She looked bewildered. "I … I can forgive you. But what brought this on?" An expression of horror crossed her face. "Oh, no. You're sick, aren't you? Are you _dying_?" she gasped, her eyes filling with tears.

"Wha—_Dying_?" He blinked, then released a startled little laugh. "Of course not!"

She slumped in relief, but frowned. "Then what—"

"Let me finish," he cut in, squeezing her hands. "Honestly, when I found out you were leaving yesterday, it made me start to think about … about us, and what you've come to mean to me. It made me realize a few things about myself, and about why I treated you the way I did. It was because … because I was scared."

"Scared? Of _me?"_ She was clearly amused by the idea.

"No." His expression was perfectly serious. "Not scared of _you_ so much as … what you always make me feel." He stared into her eyes, lost. "Such strong, intense emotions that I always fought so hard to ignore. I didn't know what else to _do_ with them, so I just buried them and fooled myself into thinking they weren't there. Maybe I'd still be doing that if I hadn't found out you were moving from Japan."

Usagi's expression went blank, and she shook her head slowly as she tried to speak, but a finger resting on her lips effectively silenced her.

Overhead, a droning voice announced the arrival and immediate boarding of flight 122, and Mamoru winced. It was Usagi's plane, the one that would take her away from him forever. Suddenly desperate, he rose to his feet and brought her up with him. Cupping her face tenderly in his big hands, he leaned close to gaze into her eyes. "I can't let you leave believing that I dislike you in any way," he whispered as his thumbs stroked lovingly over her cheeks and lips. "I don't hate you at all. It's the opposite, in fact." He moved even closer until he could feel the static heat of her skin against his. "I love you, Usagi," he breathed. "So much."

She sucked in a sharp breath, stunned by the revelation. Before she could speak, could give voice to the horror and revulsion he was certain she felt, he gave into desire and closed the scant distance between them, gently, insistently, covering her lips with his.

He held the kiss for as long as he dared, relishing the sweetness and warmth of her mouth as he tried to convey the depths of his love to her. He kept it soft, languid, not wanting to scare her. But when she responded, her mouth softening and her body melting against his, he dared to slip his arms around her and embrace her fully, allowing his tightly-reigned passion to seep through the kiss before he finally, reluctantly let her go.

He steadied her as she found her footing, noting the bright color burning in her cheeks and her bruised lips, now more tempting than ever. Her dazed eyes slowly opened, and she again tried to speak, but he stopped her as his courage fled, not wanting to hear her rejection and ruin the beautiful moment. "You should go, Usagi," he whispered, brushing a wisp of hair from her cheek. "You'll miss your flight."

It took all of the willpower he could muster to step away from her, studying her dazed, stricken expression. He forced a reassuring smile to his mouth, but it didn't reach his eyes as he brushed a finger tenderly over her lips, fighting the urge to kiss them one last time. "I wish you the best of luck in your new home," he murmured. "I hope you won't forget me, Usagi. Please know that I will never forget you. You're in my heart."

With those parting words, he bowed formally, turned on his heel, and fled through the crowded airport.

He didn't hear Usagi tearfully calling after him, and he never looked back.

* * *

The next few weeks seemed to pass in slow motion. Time dragged, and Mamoru dragged right along with it. He forced himself to maintain his routine. Get up in the mornings, attend his classes, arrive at his part-time job on time, eat tasteless meals, go to bed and spend sleepless nights staring at the ceiling and thinking of _her_. He told himself he was being ridiculous, _no_ girl was worth _this_ much torment! It didn't change anything. When she left, she'd taken a piece of him with her and he ached as if she'd carved a physical wound into his chest, right where his heart used to be. Who knew love could _hurt_ so much? No wonder he'd made it a point to avoid such a useless emotion before!

He often thought of writing, or even calling her, just to hear her voice. But he didn't have an address or telephone number, and he kicked himself for never having thought to ask for one. He didn't even know what _State_ she'd moved to! He wondered if she'd ever deign to write or call _him_, until he realized that she probably didn't have his contact information, either. Why would she? They hadn't exactly been best friends or anything.

He found himself avoiding Motoki, skipping out after classes and staying away from the arcade altogether. He knew Motoki was worried about him, but the man was annoyingly astute and would no doubt hone in on the problem with a few well-aimed questions. Mamoru was not at all ready to discuss his issues with anyone. His newly discovered love for Usagi was something he barely understood himself, and still wasn't sure how to deal with. Motoki might mean well, but how could he possibly understand the torment Mamoru was going through? His favorite method of talking it out until a solution was found wouldn't be enough this time. Mamoru was just going to have to find some way to deal with his heartsickness all on his own.

It didn't help that Usagi's so-called friends didn't even seem to care that she was gone. He often saw them in the arcade as he passed, or out on the streets, talking and laughing as though Usagi had never existed, and he almost hated them for it. Was he the only one who realized what a treasure they'd all lost? Then again, he thought jealously, _they_ probably had her contact information and could call and write her whenever they wanted. The temptation to go up and ask them for her new address was almost overwhelming, but he reasoned that they'd want to know _why_, which would also lead to questions that he just wasn't willing to answer. Especially not to those flighty gossip hounds who didn't know the meaning of discretion. The whole of the city would know inside a day if they got an inkling of Mamoru's feelings!

After three days, frustration finally drove him into a stationary store, where he purchased a small, nondescript black ledger. If he couldn't write to Usagi for real, then he'd do it in a journal, instead. And since she would never, ever actually read these words, he didn't need to hold back.

He spent an hour staring at the first blank page, wondering where to even start, and feeling more than a little silly. He'd never tried to keep a diary before. He wasn't even sure what one wrote in them on a daily basis. What he'd eaten for breakfast (not much; he didn't have much of an appetite lately)? The new computer he planned to purchase, because his old one kept making funny noises and tended to start smoking if he didn't strap a cold pack across the back of the hard drive? No, he reasoned, she wouldn't care about things like that. Besides, this wasn't a diary. It was … it was _love_ letters. It was what he wanted to say to her face-to-face, if he ever got the chance. He knew next to nothing about her aside from a few, shallow details, and she knew nothing about him. He wanted her to know about _him_.

So, he wrote his very first letter in the journal, telling her all about himself, about his lonely childhood as an orphan and the accident that had stolen his parents and his memory. And how, until she had come into his life, he had never really understood what love was, or that such a powerful, bittersweet emotion could even exist. The words flowed easier as he penned them, and he found it therapeutic in a way, to finally unload all of these pent-up feelings. Even if she'd never hear them, he felt better just for finally being able to _admit_ them, even if only on paper.

The next day, after his class, he found a quiet bench in the park, and opened the journal again. He wrote about the children flying kites, and the couples rowing boats on the lake. He wanted to take her for a boat ride, and walk through the rose gardens, because he loved roses and she reminded him so much of one. Beautiful, delicate … but she definitely had a bite when provoked! And someday, in the future, he wanted one of those children flying kites to be _theirs_. He regretted not finding some way to keep her in Japan. With _him_. Where she belonged. He missed her as much as he'd miss his own life, and wondered if she ever cast a thought his way, or if she'd already forgotten him and found herself a handsome American boyfriend.

(Here, he had to stop and punch a hapless tree a few times until he got his sudden, jealous rage under control. Oh, he hoped not. He _really, really_ hoped not…)

Over the course of the month, he filled the journal with his feelings, not bothering to mince words, maybe not even making sense at times, but it didn't matter. He tried his hand at a few lines of poetry once or twice (and he was glad she'd never read this, because it turned out that he was a _horrible_ poet). He even wrote when he regretted his feelings, when he wanted with all his heart to forget her and just go on with his life, and how dare she make him feel like this and then just leave him? It was all her fault!

Of course, then he'd remember the taste of her lips, the way her soft body fit against his just right, her sweet smile, even her tears when she'd mistakenly thought he was dying. The look of astonishment and wonder in her eyes when he'd confessed still clung to him, and he found he could not regret loving her, after all.

* * *

One day, three weeks after Usagi's departure, Mamoru walked slowly home from his classes, an open umbrella propped on one shoulder to ward off a light summer drizzle, nose buried in a biology book. He'd discovered long ago that immersing himself in school work was the best distraction when his life threatened to overwhelm him, and he was using said distraction to full advantage now. He had just come to a rather fascinating section explaining the molecular structure of the human brain when he heard a high, sweet voice calling his name. Blinking, he paused and looked around, wondering if he was finally going insane. That had sounded an awful lot like—

"Ma_mo_ru-_san_!"

He jumped, whirled around, and found himself confronted with large blue eyes peeking at him from beneath a pink umbrella. An adorable pout touched full lips, which Mamoru recalled with perfect clarity felt utterly delicious beneath his. He could only stare in bewilderment as Usagi stood with folded arms, her foot tapping an impatient rhythm on the wet cement. Her golden hair swayed in the warm breeze. His brain had shut down on him, because he couldn't seem to pick his jaw up off the sidewalk.

After a few moments of utter silence, a golden eyebrow shot up. "Well?" she demanded. "Here I am! It's been almost a full month and all you're gonna do is stand there and _stare_ at me?" She waited, and when he _still_ said nothing, her stern visage melted into a delighted grin. "Is it possible? The ever-so-eloquent Chiba Mamoru is actually _speechless_?" she teased, giggling at his expression.

He blinked rapidly to ease the sudden burning behind his eyes, finally managing a croaked, "U-Usagi?"

"That's my name!" She offered a playful salute, but clearly his reaction was worrying her, and she peered up him with that same expression of concern she'd worn at the airport. "Erm … you're not actually _dying_ this time, are you?" she asked, and then yelped sharply as her world suddenly up-heaved.

One moment, she was watching his knuckles slowly turn white from his death grip on the textbook. In the next, that same book landed face-down on the sidewalk, followed by his umbrella as those hands reached for her. She found herself being pulled into his embrace as strong arms came tight around her. Right there, in the middle of the sidewalk, in broad daylight! Her own umbrella clattered to the ground, forgotten.

"Usagi…" he breathed, and his voice in her ear caused a trembling shudder to run up her spine. "What are—Where did you—What are you _doing_ here? Why aren't you in America?"

Usagi didn't answer right away. She seemed frozen to the spot. Finally, she shifted in his arms and mumbled, "Because vacation's over, and school term starts in a couple of days, you know."

_Vacation?_

Mamoru froze.

She had been on _vacation_?

"Of course I have! Where did you think I was?" It wasn't until Usagi's voice cut through his shock that he realized he'd spoken out loud. He pulled away to look at her; she stared back with an adorably confused expression. Realizing that they were drawing quite a bit of attention from passersby, he grabbed her hand to pull her off the sidewalk, into a nearby ally. There, he let her go and slumped against one wall, while she leaned against the other, watching him cautiously.

"Can you explain to me," he began in a low, intense voice, "how it is that you went from moving to America to visiting there for a mere _vacation_?"

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened at his dangerous tone. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she sputtered. "I never said—Where'd you get the idea I was _moving_? And why are you so mad at me? _I'm_ the one who should be mad at _you_!"

Now _his_ eyes widened. "You? What make you think you've got the right to be mad at me? What'd _I_ do?"

"What did—You went and ruined my entire vacation, _that's _what you did!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

He went utterly silent, breath freezing in his throat. His heart was suddenly a chunk of lead sitting heavy in his stomach. He felt physically ill.

There it was. The truth he'd been trying to avoid since she'd walked out of his life a month ago. He'd ruined her vacation by confessing his love to her, expecting to never see her again. Only now she was back, and rather than holding her and kissing her breathless as he'd dreamed of doing, he was yelling at her for … for what, exactly? She was right. He had no right to be angry at her for his own misconception. She, however, had every right to be furious with him.

"Mamoru-san, I—"

He cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. "No. It's okay. I understand," he replied softly, unable to conceal the pain in his voice. He saw her trembling hand reach toward him, and quickly stepped away. When he finally met her eyes, he'd managed to school his expression into the cool, calm university student she'd always known. "I'm sorry," he told her, his voice emotionless. Without another word, he turned and walked away. He never looked back.

* * *

"_Damn_ it," Usagi cursed as she viciously kicked a stone out of her way, before stepping up to the sliding doors of the arcade and stomping inside, tossing her oversized purse and umbrella onto the counter and slumping down on a stool.

"Usagi-chan!" Motoki greeted, a wide grin covering his handsome face. "I didn't realize you were back! Did you have a good time in New York?"

She merely grunted, crossing her arms on the counter and resting her chin on them wearily. She felt like crying, and at the same time she felt like wringing Mamoru's neck. Why was the man such a … such a _jerk_?

_ "_Oh." Motoki stopped and gave her the once-over, his smile fading. "That doesn't look good. This calls for a double-thick milkshake, I think."

She sighed heavily. "Better make it a triple."

"That bad, huh?" He ruffled her hair affectionately. A month ago, such an action would have sent her over the moon with delight, but ever since The Airport Incident…

She heaved another sigh and buried her nose in her crossed arms. "Why are men such gigantic _idiots_?"

"Ah." A knowing grin twitched Motoki's lips. "And how _is_ our esteemed comrade? I haven't seen him around for … well … most of the month, come to think of it. Not since you left."

"You haven't missed much," she snorted. "He's the same as always." She sighed yet again, and Motoki fought back a laugh. Only _she_ could pour so much drama into a simple breath of air.

"So what happened this time?" he asked. "You're back for, what, a day? And you're already at each others' throats. That's some kind of a record." He set a shake in front of her and leaned on the counter, all ears. To be honest, he was really quite worried about Mamoru's sudden and unexplainable absence. He never picked up his phone, he never waited around after classes anymore, he never came to the arcade to hang out. Motoki couldn't shake the feeling that his friend was actively avoiding him, and there _had _to be a good reason for that, right? He couldn't help wondering if Usagi's vacation had something to do with it.

"The same thing that always happens," Usagi complained, sipping her shake. "We met. We fought—" She paused, remembering. "Well, _before_ that, he hugged me! And then he got _mad_ at me 'cause he thought I was moving to America—Where do you think he got a ridiculous idea like that, huh?—and then I got mad at _him_ and told him he ruined my vacation, and then he left."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up there." Motoki's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Mamoru _hugged_ you?" He eyed her, disbelieving. "He actually pulled you into his arms and _held_ you," he clarified.

"Yeah! Right there on the sidewalk in front of everyone!" Usagi exclaimed, blushing as she remembered. "But then he pulled me into an alley and started chewing me out for no reason at all!" Her eyes took on a sad sheen as she gazed wistfully down at her folded hands. "It's like … what he did at the airport never even happened."

"Wait, what? What happened at the airport? Mamoru was _there_?" Motoki felt more and more confused. Just how much _had_ he missed, anyway?

Usagi suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Well … uh … he showed up all of a sudden, right before we left."

"_And?_" Motoki pressed, determined to keep her talking.

"And…" She squirmed in her seat. "He took me somewhere kinda quiet and said he didn't hate me and he didn't want me to leave thinking he did, and—Hey!" She stopped and looked up. "He thought I was moving way back then, too! _You_ didn't tell him anything, did you? Something that made him think I was moving from Japan for good?"

"What? No! I swear, I didn't tell him anything like _that_! Why would I? I don't know where he got the idea!" Motoki held up his hands. "Anyway, never mind that. What did he do then?" Because there was a lot more to this story, he sensed, and he was determined to hear it all.

Usagi blinked, and her face turned a rather interesting shade of pink. She buried her face in her arms again. "Nothing," she mumbled. "Nothing happened."

He poked her head. "I don't believe that. You might as well spill it." When she still refused to answer, he riffled around his apron pocket until he found a crumpled slip of paper. "Oh, look. A voucher for a month's worth of free video games," he announced. As expected, Usagi's head shot up. He waved the paper tauntingly in front of her nose. "You can have it. _If_—" He snatched the slip from her grasping hand, "—you tell me what went on between you and Mamoru." She glared at him and dropped her head back to her arms. He sighed. "Come on, Usagi-chan," he said, petting her hair gently. "Mamoru hasn't been himself since you left. There's something wrong with him, and if it's 'cause he thought you were moving away, it might explain a lot. I'm _worried_ about the guy, you know? He's avoiding everyone. He keeps himself all bottled up and one of these days he's gonna pop!"

She peeked up at him, her brow furrowed, and mumbled.

Motoki's eyebrows shot up again. He had to have heard wrong. "Mamoru _what_ now?"

"I _said_," Usagi replied, lifting her head, "that he _confessed_ to me. At the airport. He told me he _loved_ me, and then he … he _kissed_ me." Her cheeks flushed even darker at the admission. "Then, he just took off again and abandoned me without even giving me a chance to say anything!" Her face had to resemble a cherry by then, and the way Motoki kept gaping at her, with open mouth and eyes that practically bugged out of his head, was _not_ helping to ease her embarrassment.

"I _knew_ it!" the manager suddenly crowed, slapping a hand on the counter and startling Usagi into nearly falling off her stool. "I _knew _that guy was in love! Oh, he tried to hide it, but it was too obvious! I just can't believe he finally manned up and _admitted_ it. I guess you 'moving away' was the incentive he needed to confess. Good for him!"

"Um, _excuse_ me," Usagi sputtered. "We were talking about _me _here."

"Right, right. Sorry." He calmed down and leaned against the counter, a grin threatening to split his face in half. "But it makes _sense_ now."

"What does?" she asked sulkily.

"How depressed Mamoru's been lately."

She snorted. "Mamoru-baka is _always_ depressed."

"Oh, he is not." Motoki laughed. "Look, like I said, ever since you left Mamoru has cut himself off from everyone. Even me! He buries himself in school and work … I don't think he sleeps well at night, given the bags under his eyes. I actually caught him dozing off in class once!"

"That's unusual?"

He chuckled. "It's the same as if you'd catch your friend Ami-chan dozing off in class."

Her eyes widened. "Oh. That's unusual."

"Right? He's literally pining away for you, Usagi-chan," Motoki explained, his eyes bright.

She snorted. "You make him sound like some kind of a princess," she giggled. "Besides, he didn't seem to be pining very hard when _I_ saw him. He was too busy yelling at me and accusing me of … of …" Her lips pursed. "Well, he didn't really _accuse_ me of anything. But he acted like it was _my_ fault that he thought I wasn't coming back! Where did he even _get_ such a crazy idea?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Motoki suggested.

"Oh, sure. And let him bite my head off again? No thanks! Besides, why should I care how he feels? How do I know he wasn't just playing with me at the airport? He went and ruined my vacation 'cause of what he did, and I _am_ mad at him for it," she decided.

"Oh, don't be such a baby."

"What?" Her jaw dropped as she stared at him, hurt and betrayed. Motoki had _never_ called her that before! "Whose side are you on?" she accused, glaring through a haze of tears. "Why do I tell anyone anything? All you ever do is insult me and call me names!"

"I'm sorry." Motoki sighed, gripping her hand to keep her from stomping off. "I didn't mean it like that. Look, the only way you're going to find out the truth is if you go to his place and _talk_ to him. That's what couples _do_. They _communicate_. You and Mamoru have always been very verbal with each other before. Why should it be any different now?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "But … I can't…" She shook her head. "What if he really _was _only playing with me? Or what if he changed his mind?" she asked fearfully. "What if he doesn't love me at all?"

Motoki looked at her sternly. "You don't really believe that. Mamoru would never do something so cruel. Do you honestly think he was only acting when he confessed to you?"

She idly traced the faint pattern in the marble counter top as she thought back to that moment, recalling the love and sincerity glowing in Mamoru's eyes as he'd whispered his love to her, right before he'd kissed her. The kiss itself was something she cherished, wondering if she'd ever receive another like it. She couldn't imagine anyone else ever kissing her like that. Not even Motoki. The very idea of anyone other than Mamoru kissing her made her heartsick.

Slowly, she shook her head.

"Then you _need_ to talk to him," Motoki sighed, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "I promise, everything will work out for you both."

"Okay," she agreed softly. "I'll go talk to him, and get the whole mess sorted out. I mean, what's the worst that can happen, right? We just get into another fight—"

"No, no, no. Think _positively._ What's the _best_ that can happen?" Motoki offered a sly wink that made her blush. "And, well, if you _do_ fight, just think of the fun you'll have making up again." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Motoki-o_nii_-san!" she gasped, scandalized. She ignored his laugh as she snatched her things and marched away.

Motoki shook his head and scribbled something down on a slip of paper. Then he waited, leaning on the counter with one arm outstretched, the paper dangling from his fingers.

Five seconds later, a breathless Usagi hurried back into the building. "Um, Motoki-onii-san, where does—?" Her eyes fell on the slip of paper in his fingers, which had what looked like an address written on it. "Er … thanks," she finished with a sheepish grin, snatching the paper and running out again.

Motoki chuckled and shook his head as he got back to his long-overdue work. "What _would_ these people do without me?"

* * *

Mamoru had just sprawled out on the sofa to read over his next assignment for his English Literature class when somebody knocked on the door. He froze, waiting, hoping that whoever it was would go away. Of course he was not that lucky. The knock came again, and then the doorbell. He moaned softly and thumped his head against the arm of the couch. "Go _away_," he growled.

There was a pause, and then a soft, inquiring, "Mamoru-san?"

His head shot up so fast that his neck nearly snapped. _That couldn't have been…_

There was a soft click, and he belatedly recalled that he'd left the door unlocked. Living on the upper floors of a fancy penthouse apartment complex, which came with a doorman and plenty of guards, he wasn't concerned much with security, so he rarely bothered to lock up.

The door opened quietly, just enough to allow a slender, golden-haired beauty to slip through. Wide, blue eyes darted nervously around. "Sorry for intrud—" Usagi's voice abruptly halted as her gaze fell on him, sprawled on the couch like a big, lazy cat in a pair of gray, cut-off sweatpants, bare feet, and a black muscle shirt. She'd never seen him in such casual lounge-wear before. He'd never looked so _sexy_. Two blue gazes crashed, one confused and the other mortified.

"Oh. I … um … I see you're busy," she squeaked, cheeks burning. "I-I'll come back another time!" She turned to bolt for the elevator.

"Wait!" Mamoru leaped to his feet, prepared to run after her. Unfortunately, the soft gray afghan that normally covered the back of the couch had somehow managed to tangle itself around his legs, and he found himself falling off the sofa to land painfully on the floor, the breath knocked out of him. He scrambled to his feet, face burning with humiliation. The end of the blanket still clung stubbornly to his leg.

There was utter silence. Which was broken a moment later by Usagi's stifled croak of laughter. "A-are you okay?" she asked, clearly struggling to hide her amusement.

He was grateful for her restraint, but her face was turning purple, which couldn't have been healthy. He decided to swallow his pride. Just this once. "Go ahead," he sighed. "Get it out of your system."

Permission granted, she leaned against the wall and allowed peals of laughter to escape, clutching her stomach as she bent nearly double. After a few moments, she managed to calm down enough to straighten and wipe tears from her eyes. She glanced over to find him still standing there, muscled arms crossed over his chest as he watched her intently through lidded eyes. A strange little smile played about his lips.

Suddenly nervous, she rummaged in her bag until she came up with a rather bedraggled textbook and a familiar green umbrella. "You, um, dropped these earlier," she stammered, holding them out. "I cleaned the book up a little, but it's still kinda damp…"

"That's okay. It'll dry." He reached out a hand, but didn't move from his spot. She was forced to slip off her shoes and come further into the room to hand the items to him, which was just what he wanted. The further away she was from the door, the better. He wasn't about to let her leave until they had a long, serious chat. "Would you like something to drink?" he offered.

"Uh, sure."

He graced her with a smile before turning to saunter into the kitchen. She stood there awkwardly, wondering what she should do next. She finally took a seat on the sofa, resting her hands on her knees as she gazed around. It was a nice, spacious, one-roomed apartment, with everything a single guy could need. A large desk with a fancy computer that looked brand new, a well-stocked entertainment center, a few potted plants here and there, bookshelves crammed full of thick, scary-looking textbooks and a few slimmer novels. But there was nothing in the way of pictures, she realized. No family photos hanging on the walls, not even a picture frame on the corner of his desk. Only a few abstract paintings hung here and there to brighten the place up. It gave the apartment a lonely, somewhat cold feeling.

Her eyes fell on the bed in the far corner of the room, sheets rumpled and unmade, with a dark mahogany dresser beside it; she blushed and quickly averted her gaze from _that_ part of the apartment.

_ Now what?_ She bit her lip nervously as she stared at the coffee table in front of her. She was there … but she had no idea how to start a conversation. Not without tossing some insults at him, which she was pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate. She'd never tried to hold a _real_ conversation with him before.

Well, maybe she didn't need to talk at all. What if she just went up to him and kissed him? _That_ would probably get the idea across…

She snorted at herself. Yeah, right. As if she'd ever have enough guts to try something like that!

A tray appeared in her line of vision, bearing two tall glasses of iced tea and a small bowl of mixed summer berries. She blinked and looked up to meet two dark eyes watching her seriously. She swallowed and felt her knees turn to butter, grateful that she was already sitting down. How had she _ever_ managed to face that seductive gaze before without melting into a little puddle of racing hormones? How would she ever be able to again, for that matter?

"You don't have to be so nervous." Mamoru's deep voice cut into her musings gently. "I'm not going to bite you."

"I … I know that!" she stuttered. "I'm not nervous!"

He hummed and settled beside her on the couch. _Very_ beside her. His warm, bare leg brushed hers, as did their arms. Tiny bolts of lightning shot through her skin at the contact, and she nearly lost the grip she had on her glass, her breath skipping in her throat.

"So," he began pleasantly, "I assume you have a reason for coming, right? Care to tell me what it is? I'm curious."

She nearly choked on her tea. Boy, this guy didn't beat around the bush, did he?_ "_Um, yeah. About that…" She carefully set her glass down. "You see … well … I think there's been some kind of … misunderstanding between us."

"Misunderstanding?" His voice had gone deadly soft, and she flinched.

"Well, yeah. About how you managed to jump to the conclusion that I was moving away?" She scratched at her throat nervously. His eyes followed the movement, darkening as they fixed on the soft skin. She swallowed and lowered her hand.

"I overheard you talking to Motoki," he explained, meeting her gaze again. An expression of confusion crossed her features. "In the arcade," he prompted. "I believe your exact words were 'Leaving … America … Papa's job … long time.' Any of that ring a bell?"

Her brow furrowed for a moment as she thought, and then her lips parted in a silent O. Her head dropped, and she shot him a glare from the corner of her eye. "Mamoru no _baka_," she muttered fiercely, making his eyes widen in surprise. "From just those _few words_, you got the idea that I was _moving_?"

"Uh … yeah," he mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit foolish.

"Perhaps you'd like to know how the _rest_ of the conversation went now?" Her continuing glare belied the sweetness of her voice.

He sighed heavily. "Go ahead."

"What I _really_ told Motoki-onii-san was that my family was _leaving_ for _America_ for an extended vacation over summer break. _Papa's __job_ paid for it, because it was a big work conference in New York, and we'd be gone for a _long time._ Or something along those lines."

He stared at her for a long moment, then dropped his head into his hands. Gave a self-disparaging little chuckle. "I'm an idiot."

She dared to pat his arm. "Yeah, you are. But don't worry. The first step to curing it is to admit it."

He huffed a surprised little laugh. Touche. "So. You were never moving away, huh?"

"Nope. And maybe that'll teach you to listen in on other peoples' conversations," she said archly.

His lips twitched. "Yes, ma'am." A brief silence fell over them, before he dared to look over and ask softly, "So, I really ruined your vacation?"

She pursed her lips, then sighed. "Well, the first few days of it, anyhow," she mumbled. "My parents kept asking lots of nosy questions and Shingo wouldn't stop teasing me. And I dunno whether I should invite you for tea or tell you to run for your life. Mama's practically planning the wedding, but I think Papa would rather kill you, instead."

"W-Wedding!" Mamoru choked on his tea, and Usagi blushed.

"N-no, well, Mama always goes overboard and misunderstands things," she stuttered, waving her hands. "Sh-she's as bad as Shingo when she teases me! And she kept asking all these nosy questions I didn't know how to answer so she must've gotten the wrong idea about things and—"

Her words were cut off by a finger on her lips. "I'm sorry you had such a hard time," Mamoru said softly, trying to meet her eyes. "If I'd known my confession was going to cause you so much trouble, maybe I wouldn't have followed you to the airport, after all." Her gaze snapped to his, then slid away again, her expression troubled. He held back a smile. "But it's been a month, now. You've had more than enough time to think about what I told you…" he prompted softly.

She squirmed. "Didn't you only say all that because you thought I was never coming back?"

"Yes," he admitted after a moment. "But," he added, when she tried to speak, "It's _because_ I thought you were never coming back that I was forced confront my true feelings, and realized how much I love you in the first place." He cupped her blushing cheek in his palm, turned her face to his. "I'd like to hear your answer, Usagi. Can you accept my feelings? Can you love me?"

She swallowed, hard. "Wh-what if I say no?"

His heart thudded painfully, but he kept his face composed. "Then, I'll just have to live with that."

"What if … I say yes?"

"Don't say yes," he said sternly, "unless you mean it."

She hesitated for a long, heart-wrenching moment, before finally allowing a smile to slip across her face. "Okay."

His breath froze as he stared at her, wide-eyed, wondering if she was teasing. Her expression was composed and calm, no hint of mocking in her eyes. She'd made her decision, and he released a long, shuddering sigh and dared to pull her into his arms, holding tightly as he murmured her name. When her arms slipped around his neck to hold him back, it was all he could do not to give into the temptation to weep with relief.

He would have been content to hold her like that for hours—for the rest of their lives—except Usagi's stomach chose to ruin the moment by releasing a long, low growl of complaint.

They both froze, and then Mamoru shook with silent laughter as Usagi's head thumped against his shoulder in mortification. "I didn't eat lunch," she mumbled by way of apology.

Mamoru pulled away from her, grinning. "Would you like me to make you something to eat? I could warm up some leftovers for you."

"You don't have to go to any trouble for me," she replied, embarrassed.

"My Usagi, turning down an offer of food? That doesn't sound like you," he teased gently, tracing her blushing cheek. "Wait, okay? I'll fix us some sandwiches. I haven't eaten, either."

While he went back to the kitchen, she stood and moved around the apartment, restless. Her heart kept beating too fast, and she couldn't seem to stop blushing. She couldn't decide if she was ecstatic or terrified by this turn of events, finally settled on both. Mamoru wasn't a _boy_, he was a grown man and surely he'd get tired of her no matter how much he claimed to love her. How could someone like her possibly keep his interest? She'd never even had a boyfriend before! She had the feeling all the self-help tips she'd read in magazines wouldn't be very useful when it came to keeping the attention of a guy like Mamoru. Still, she was determined to try. Now that she had him, she couldn't let him go so easily. He'd wormed his way so deeply into her heart, she didn't think she'd ever be able to get him out again.

She perused his bookshelf, trying to distract herself. Lots of medical textbooks—He was studying to be a doctor, Motoki had told her once—and a few novels from authors she'd never heard of. They looked long and boring. No manga, no light novels … nothing that she'd ever read before. She sighed and moved to the desk, examining the computer. It looked complex, with lots of buttons, and she didn't know much about computers, so she didn't dare touch it. There was a stapler in one corner, a wire cup holding pens and pencils in the other, an open date book perfectly centered, its pages filled with Mamoru's neat handwriting. There was a large printer/copier on a stand beside the desk, and below that a wastebasket. In that, she happened to catch a glimpse of a slim black book. It looked like a ledger, and without thinking, she reached in to pick it up by its cover. Surely he hadn't meant to throw that away. As she lifted it, the pages fell open, and the very first thing she saw was her name.

She froze, glanced at the kitchen where Mamoru was still working, then back at the journal in her hands. Slowly, she flipped it open to the first page, her heart pounding. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't … but…

"Usagi?"

She yelped, the book falling to the floor with a plop. "I-I'm sorry!" she gasped, bending to retrieve it. But she was too close to the desk, and the next thing she knew, a sharp pain cracked across her forehead, and she was falling on her butt with stars dancing across her vision. Tears of pain filled her eyes.

"Usagi!" There was a clatter and hurried footsteps, and then Mamoru was there, holding her arms as he helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?" He took her face in his hands, carefully probing the darkening bruise on her temple. "Do you feel dizzy? Here, come sit down."

"I'm fine," she rasped, choking back the tears, mortified that she'd been so clumsy. This was usually the point where he started laughing and teasing, but he did neither of those things as he lowered her onto the couch, making her lay down. He plucked a few melting ice cubes from the tea and wrapped them in a napkin, pressing them to the swelling lump.

"I have a proper ice pack in the freezer." He started to get up, but was stopped by her hand on his arm.

"I didn't read it," she said, blinking away more tears. "I thought … I thought it accidentally fell into the trash so I pulled it out, and then I saw my name, and I thought about reading it, but I didn't."

He glanced over at his desk, spotted the journal on the floor. His heart thudded and heat crept into his cheeks. It had been no accident that it ended up in the trash. He'd hurled it in there himself after stomping home, thinking he had no use for it anymore. Clearly, somebody up there had other ideas. He turned back to Usagi, bringing her apologies to a startled halt with a soft kiss. "It's okay," he said. "It's fine, Usagi. Don't worry about it." He retrieved the pack from the freezer, wrapping it in a towel before sitting beside her on the couch, pressing it to her head. "Hold this until the swelling goes down a bit. If you start to feel dizzy or tired, let me know."

She turned her face away. "I'm being a lot of trouble."

The cushions shifted, and he was hovering over her as a hand slid under her neck, the other cupping her cheek to turn her startled eyes his way. "Not so much." He offered a gentle smile, leaning in to press soft, fluttering kisses to her throat. Her breath caught at his tenderness. "Besides," he murmured against her skin, "I like being able to take care of you."

"Mamo-chan," she breathed, and felt his lips curl against her throat. "Usako," he returned, and she couldn't keep the silly grin from spreading over her face at the endearment. Until her stomach growled again. She groaned in frustration as Mamoru shook with laughter against her. "Don't laugh. I can't help it!" she whined.

He sat up, retrieving a blackberry from the bowl on the table. Locking eyes with her, he offered an enticing smile, placed the berry in his mouth. She watched, mystified, as he leaned over her, dipping his head to cover her lips in a soft kiss, and her eyes widened with delighted surprise when he gently pushed the berry into her mouth, his tongue tracing a moist, warm line that left her trembling and breathless.

She made no resistance when his arms came around her, cuddling her so close that she could feel his heart pounding against her chest, as erratic as her own. The cold pack slipped forgotten to the floor as her arms came around him, hands fisting in his black shirt to hold him to her. He released a deep, shuddering breath and lowered his head to nuzzle his face to her ear. "Delicious," he murmured, his breath warming her flushed skin even further. "You're delicious." He kissed her throat again, a slow, steady suckling that was sure to leave a mark, but it felt too good so she merely tilted her head and let him continue. When he finally withdrew, he plucked another berry from the bowl, placed it between Usagi's lips before dipping in to retrieve it. He took a long, languid time, tasting her deeply, a careful and thorough seduction of her mouth. By the time he had finished, Usagi definitely felt dizzy, but it had nothing to do with her bruised head.

She was also completely ravenous, and that had nothing at all to do with food.

* * *

She left his apartment hours later, hunger thoroughly sated, the dull ache in her temple all but forgotten. The sun had set, and she knew her parents would probably be furious with her for staying out so late and not even bothering to call, but she was too happy to care. Mamoru walked with her, twining their fingers together and holding on tightly, as if he was afraid to let her go in case she disappeared again. The rain had stopped and the sky had cleared, and the air was warm and fragrant. It was a perfect evening for lovers. They walked slowly, reluctant to let their time together end.

A block from Usagi's house, they finally stopped inside a small playground, where Mamoru pulled her to him and kissed her slowly and thoroughly, until she could barely stand up. "I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured, nuzzling at her ear.

"Love you," she replied, offering a brilliant smile. When he would have kissed her again, she skipped playfully out of his reach, waving goodbye and turning to run to her house. She mumbled an excuse to her parents about being at her friends' to finish her summer homework—they were too absorbed in a TV drama to pay much attention anyway—and bolted to her room, where she threw herself on her bed and replayed the day over and over in her mind.

She reached into her bag, where she'd stashed Mamoru's address, not wanting to lose it, and her fingers brushed the cover of a book. Frowning, she withdrew and was startled to find the black journal in her hand. A note was tucked inside the front cover, scrawled in Mamoru's handwriting.

_ Usako,  
I am entrusting this journal to you, because it was always yours to begin with. It contains all the sentiments I longed to tell you while you were gone. Please read it._

She did. From start to finish, she read the words he'd spent the past month pouring onto the pages, learning more about him in a single night than she had in all the time she'd known him. She alternately flushed and cried as she took in his words of love, the revelations of his lonely childhood and what had shaped him into the man he'd become, his torment when she'd been gone and how hard it had been to go on without her. For the first time, she realized just how deeply he had come to love her, and promised that she'd never put him through that kind of pain again.

By the time she came to the last entry, it was well into the night, and her eyes were sore and red from crying, but she couldn't stop smiling. It was the final letter, with that day's date etched in the corner.

_ My Usako,_

_ So, now you've read the entire journal, and you know more about me than anyone else has ever known, not even my closest friends. The idea should terrify me. You could do whatever you want with this knowledge, and I'd have no power to stop you. I could never bring myself to hurt you, because I love you too much, and I don't at all regret telling you. I'll say it as often as you want to hear it. I love you. And I believe you love me. And now that I know you return my feelings, prepare yourself, because I don't intend to let you go so easily._

_ My only regret is that I wasted so much time fighting you when I could have been loving you, and I'm so sorry for being such an idiot. I was holding too tightly to the past, and it blinded me to what could have been our future. But my eyes are open now, and the oh-so-important past just … _isn't_ anymore. Nothing is important, except for you._

_ I love you. Always.  
Mamoru_

Usagi sat up, wiping tears from her eyes and smiling as she reached for a pen on her night stand. Carefully, she wrote a short note on the final page.

_ I love you, Mamo-chan.  
Never look back.  
Your Usako_

She slid the journal under her pillow and snapped off the light, slipping contentedly into sleep.

_~~Finish~~  
_

* * *

_So, uh, anyone want a little wine to go with all that cheese? ^_^;  
_


	6. The Bet

_Thanks for the reviews on the stories so far! Glad to know people still remember them, and are enjoying them.  
_

_To reiterate, I'm reposting these one-shots in celebration of the new Sailor Moon Crystal series (which is _utterly fantastic_ so far). There are only three episodes at the moment, with a new one being released on Hulu and Crunchyroll every other Saturday. Every Sailor Moon fan must check it out!  
_

_That being said, please remember that these stories were first written almost a decade ago, and are based on the _original_ anime from 1995. I am, however, doing heavy revision on a lot of them, just to clean them up and update them a bit. Most of them are set in the first season, and all of them are centered around Usagi/Mamoru, and very occasionally Sailor Moon/Tuxedo Kamen._

_Please enjoy, and reviews are always appreciated._

_As always, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement to write these little stories. I promise to return them unharmed once I'm finished._

_This story is rated PG13 for lotsa fluff._

* * *

_The Bet_

It started out so simply, really.

Usagi and Naru sat at their usual booth in the Crown Arcade, amusing themselves by daring each other to do outrageous things for obscene amounts of money. It was just for laughs, of course, given the serious lack of actual money on Usagi's end, but that just made it all the more fun. They could think up the most ridiculous bets without the fear of having to actually go through with them. At the moment, Usagi was grinning at her friend, having just dared her to run down the street in nothing but her underwear for twenty-thousand yen.

Naru calmly took a bite of her chocolate parfait and appeared to think it over. Then she shrugged one slender shoulder. "Make it fifty thousand, and I'd do it," she announced cheerfully.

Usagi's mouth dropped open. "Naru-chan!" she hissed, caught between laughter and shock. "I never knew you were such a deviant!"

Naru snorted. "Look who's talking. _I'm_ not the one who thought it up in the first place."

"Point," Usagi giggled, swiping a drip of ice cream off the side of her bowl with her finger. "Okay. So you'd streak for fifty thousand yen. _But _… would you streak past your mother's shop? On a big sale day? _Without_ your undies?" she added, pointing a finger triumphantly at the red-head.

Naru rolled her eyes. "Not for all the yen in Japan. I'm not _stupid_," she deadpanned. "And that's two turns for you, so now it's my turn."

Usagi sat back with a grin and took a huge bite of her sundae, waiting for the next bet. She was confident, however, that even Naru wouldn't be able to come up with anything more outrageous than streaking.

She was wrong.

The red-head glanced around the arcade idly as she thought, until her gaze froze on one certain point. A sly grin made its way slowly across her face, and Usagi blinked, a shiver of apprehension running up her spine. She turned in her seat to discover what had so captured Naru's attention, and her curious gaze fell upon Chiba Mamoru, sitting two booths away and deeply absorbed in a thick textbook. An untouched milkshake sat on the table in front of him.

Usagi rolled her eyes. Oh. Was _that_ all? "Earth to Naru-chan!" She waved a hand in front of her friend's face. Naru's gaze returned to her with a snap. "Get a good eyeful?" she teased. "Okay, I admit he's kinda cute, but really, your eyeballs are about to fall out of your head."

Naru pulled a face. "Go ahead and laugh, but I just thought up the perfect bet for you!" She took another bite of her dessert.

"What? Do I have to go kick Mamoru-baka in the butt for a million yen or something? Heck, I'll do that for _free_!"

Naru's smile turned even more cunning. "I don't want you to _kick_ him," she said sweetly. "I want you to _kiss_ him." She waited until Usagi finished choking on her ice cream before adding smugly, "For ten thousand yen."

"Not a snowflake's chance in hell," Usagi coughed, wiping at her tearing eyes.

Naru laughed. "Fifteen thousand?"

"_No!_"

"Okay, okay. Twenty thousand."

Usagi snorted a laugh. Obviously, Naru wasn't going to give up until she said yes. Well, it was only a game anyway, so why not? "Oh, all right. Since we're going crazy and all, I'd go over and give Mamoru-baka a big kiss for … say … enough money to buy a brand new Playstation," she announced.

Naru's eyebrows rose. "That's all? You'd kiss him for a new video game system?"

"Well, Shingo likes to hog the one in the living room so I thought if I got my own we wouldn't fight over it so much," Usagi joked. "My parents would probably be thrilled."

"But you'd need a television, too, right?"

Usagi frowned, tapping a nail against her teeth. "Oh, yeah. Hadn't thought about that." She brightened. "Then a hand-held! I'd do it for Sony's new hand-held. And some games, too, of course."

She sat back and crossed her arms smugly, satisfied that she'd managed to thoroughly fluster her friend. However, it was once again her turn to be flustered when Naru nodded thoughtfully and replied, "Okay, then. It's a bet."

Usagi continued to grin for another moment, until the implications of those words abruptly hit home, and she sat bolt-upright and gaped. Naru was suddenly looking _far_ too serious about all this for her liking. "What?" she squeaked. "_What's_ a bet? What are you talking about?"

"A new gaming system and, say, two games runs around forty thousand, right? I'll give you the money for it, if you go over there and kiss Mamoru-san right now," Naru said, attempting to look innocent, and failing miserably.

"A-are you _insane_?" Usagi slid down in her seat until her head barely passed the back of the bench, just in case the subject of this most ridiculous conversation should happen to overhear it.

Naru was smiling again, shaking her head. "You said you'd do it," she pointed out, not about to let the blonde off the hook.

"I was _joking!_ It's just a _game_," Usagi hissed. "Besides, where would you get that kind of money, anyway? You aren't _that_ rich!"

Naru waved her spoon at her. "Unlike you, _I_ don't blow all of my allowance in one day," she scolded. "I have my New Years and birthday money, too. There's more than enough to buy something like that."

"But Naru-chaaan," Usagi whined. "I have to kiss _Mamoru-baka_ to get it?"

Naru grinned, completely unrepentant. "Come on. Just giving someone a little smooch for forty thousand yen is a fantastic bargain," she teased. "It's not like I'm asking you to _sleep_ with him or anything!"

"Naru-chan! Pervert, what if he _hears_ you?"

"He's not going to hear," she snorted. "He's too absorbed in studying. Look at him, he's totally zoned out right now. He'd never see you coming!"

"Couldn't I just kiss Motoki-onii-san instead?" Usagi asked hopefully.

"Of course not! That would defeat the whole purpose! Besides, he isn't even here today."

"And what _is_ the purpose of this, Naru-chan?" Usagi growled, glaring at her friend suspiciously.

Naru shrugged, putting on her most innocent face. "Just want to see if you actually have the guts to kiss your worst enemy. _I'd_ do it."

"I've got plenty of guts," Usagi grumbled.

"Then prove it!"

Usagi hesitated. Naru, sensing a crack in her friend's resistance, riffled through her wallet. "Look. I've got twenty thousand right here. You go over and kiss him, and you can have it. And we'll go back to my place right after and I'll give you the rest." She fanned the wad of bills.

Usagi's eyes bugged. That was like … like … three months of allowances right there in one bundle! She'd never _seen_ so much money before! She fidgeted in her seat as temptation began to overrule common sense. Grinning, Naru waved the bills in front of her face, then started to tuck them back into her wallet. "Fine!" Usagi yelped, quickly reaching across the table to stop her. "I'll take your stupid bet. But you'd better pay me the rest!"

Naru grinned and placed the money into Usagi's waiting hand, only to snatch it back a moment later. "You have to kiss him on the _mouth_," she clarified sternly. "The cheek or forehead doesn't count!"

Usagi grumbled and snatched the bills. The cheek had been _exactly_ where she'd planned to kiss him, damn it. Naru-chan knew her too well. And why did the girl have to be so _rich_? It was so inconvenient…

Muttering under her breath, she stuffed the money into the pocket of her uniform, strolled casually toward Mamoru's booth, attempting to look innocent (she suspected she failed miserably). He was still absorbed in his studies, and she smirked. Only he would think to bring his homework into an arcade of all places. _Maybe all the peace and quiet helps him concentrate_, she thought snidely. Still, if it kept him occupied…

She pursed her lips, wondering how best to go about this. Now that she was _there_, she was having serious doubts about the whole idea. Since he was so distracted, maybe she could just kinda … swoop in, kiss him, and hightail it out of there before he even looked up from his book.

Except, she had to kiss his mouth, and with his head bent like that, she'd never get to it without him noticing _something_. Curse Naru…

"So, Odango, did you want anything in particular or is it that you simply can't get enough of my gorgeous profile?"

Usagi sighed dejectedly, shoulders slumping. So much for a sneak attack.

"I'm not going to answer that since your bloated ego will probably explode all over the arcade," she muttered, only to realize a moment too late that she'd inadvertently managed to give him a compliment rather than an insult.

He realized it, too, and shot her a sly glance from the corner of his eye. He closed his book and turned to face her, those dark blue eyes sparkling impishly as a little grin twitched at his perfect mouth. "Why, thank you, Odango. That's such a nice thing to say."

She gritted her teeth. "Don't get used to it. It'll never happen again."

"Are you sure?" Did he just _wink_ at her?

She wanted to scream. How was she supposed to kiss him _now?_ She shot a desperate glance at Naru, who merely made a little shooing motion with her hand, urging her on. Usagi closed her eyes and sighed softly, turning back to Mamoru, who was watching her carefully.

"Something the matter, Odango?" he asked, the smile vanishing as he searched her face. Yep. He was definitely suspicious.

She fidgeted nervously. Well, she'd already come this far. It'd be stupid to chicken out _now_. There would be no end to Naru's teasing. Besides, she really did want that gaming system. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and looked Mamoru straight in the eye. "_Please_ don't take this the wrong way," she pleaded, and reached out to take his face between her hands. Ignoring his startled gasp, she leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly to his.

She wasn't sure what to expect, really. Although, Mamoru shoving her away and yelling at her was pretty much at the top of the list. She wouldn't have blamed him, given that's how _she_ would react were the positions reversed. She certainly didn't expect him to just sit there and _take_ it, however.

He didn't kiss her back, but he didn't push her away, either. A moment passed before she realized that he apparently wasn't going to do _anything_ other than sit there like a lump. Which meant it was up to her to put an end to it. She slowly drew back, her cheeks burning hotly with embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes. A frown pulled at her mouth as she sought to process what she'd just done, and she could only reach one conclusion.

She felt strangely … disappointed.

She'd just kissed a man, for the first time ever, and it hadn't been _anything_ like what she'd read in books or saw in the movies or even like what some of her friends had described to her with hushed giggles. There was no heavenly choir, or warmth, or feeling. It was just … a gesture. A meaningless gesture. It had been _kinda_ nice (considering who she'd been kissing and all), but it was _nothing_ close to fantastic. And now she knew that everything she'd ever heard about kisses was nothing but a lie.

She took a deep, unsteady breath, trying to gather her crumbling composure as she stepped away. Mamoru still sat there, gazing at her with wide eyes and parted lips, stunned beyond reason, and she couldn't help smirking a little. At least _something_ good had come from all of this. She'd finally managed to knock the fight right out of Chiba Mamoru and leave him completely and utterly speechless. Better savor it while it lasted. "Sorry about that," she said flippantly, trying to ignore the fact that her idealistic perceptions of romance had just shattered like Cinderella's glass slipper. "_That_ won't happen again, either."

He blinked, his mouth closing slowly as his dazed eyes sharpened on her, his expression growing stormy. She gulped; now was the time to beat a hasty retreat, before he gathered his wits enough to give her the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. She offered a mocking salute and quickly spun around, grabbing a stunned Naru's hand on the way to the exit and practically dragging her out the door.

"You did it! I can't believe you actually did it!" Naru squealed excitedly as she allowed herself to be dragged down the street at roughly the speed of a bullet train. "Soooo? What are you waiting for! Tell! Tell!"

"Tell _what_?" Usagi griped. "I kissed him. End of story."

"What was it _like?_" Naru pressed, wondering at her friend's uncharacteristic reluctance to share juicy gossip. "And can we slow _down_ now? My legs are gonna fall off!"

Usagi slowed her pace to a sedate walk, strolling along demurely with her gaze fixed on the sidewalk. Naru frowned. This wasn't like her, either. Shouldn't she be whooping for joy and hopping around like a deranged rabbit or something? She'd just kissed the most gorgeous guy in Japan, and she looked _miserable_ about it! "Usagi-chan." Naru reached out to grip her sleeve. "What's the matter?"

Usagi sighed and glanced up, catching Naru's concerned gaze. She hesitated, before pulling her off the sidewalk and under the canopy of an outdoor cafe. With extreme reluctance, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the money. "Here," she said softly. "Take it back."

Naru gaped at her. "Wh-what are you talking about? That's yours. Trust me, you earned it!"

"No, I didn't. And I don't want it." Usagi looked everywhere but at Naru. "I don't feel right, taking so much money for something as dumb as a kiss. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you or something."

"But you aren't!" Naru protested. "I gave it to you willingly, and believe me, it was worth it to see the look on Mamoru-san's face!" She laughed for a moment, until she realized Usagi wasn't laughing with her. She gazed at her with open concern. "Usagi-chan, what _happened_?Did he say something mean to you? Was the kiss _that_ horrible?"

Usagi leaned against the wall. "It … it was just…" She sighed. "It wasn't what I expected it to be, that's all," she finally admitted. "I mean, everyone always talks about how wonderful and special kisses are, but I didn't feel _anything_ when I kissed him! It was just … I dunno." She shrugged helplessly, not sure how to explain her feelings.

Naru rolled her eyes. "Well, duh!" she snorted. "Of course that's how you'd feel. You don't care for Mamoru like that, so how could it feel special? It'd only feel that way if you kissed someone you actually _liked_."

"But…" Usagi bit her lip. "It's not like I _hate_ him. I mean, he's a jerk and he always teases me and stuff, but sometimes he can be nice, too. _Sometimes_. But that was my first kiss and … well … I feel like I wasted it now. He didn't even kiss me back!"

"He was probably too busy trying to figure out what was going on to even _think_ of kissing back," Naru laughed. She studied Usagi's downcast expression thoughtfully. "The question is, did you _want_ him to kiss you back? Why does it matter whether he did or didn't? You don't care … right?"

Usagi looked stunned. "O-Of course not!" she sputtered, her cheeks beginning to warm again. Somehow, it felt like a lie. "At any rate, it's something I'll never do again, and I don't want the money. So take it back, okay? Please?"

Naru reluctantly accepted the crumpled bills and stuffed them back into her purse, her brow furrowed with worry. "Usagi-chan, are you okay?" she questioned timidly. "I-I'm sorry I let it get so out of hand. I should've just kept it a silly game."

"Don't worry, it's not your fault. I'm the one who accepted the bet, right?" Usagi flashed her a reassuring smile. "Anyway, it's getting a little late. I should probably get home before Mama has a fit about me being out so late and not finishing my—_Oh!_" She froze in stunned horror as realization suddenly hit her.

"What? What's the matter?" Naru glanced wildly around the cafe.

"My bag!" Usagi moaned, sliding down the wall. "I left it in the arcade! We ran out of there so fast that I forgot to grab it!"

"Oh, is _that_ all?" Naru looked a little annoyed. "Don't scare me like that! Just go back and get it. It's probably still there."

"I _can't _go back. _He's_ probably still there," Usagi groaned, burying her face in her arms. She looked up at Naru hopefully. "Could you—"

"No way!" she yelped. "Sorry, Usagi-chan, but he's probably figured out I had something to do with you kissing him, and that guy is scary when he's mad!"

"Only when he's mad at _me_," Usagi grumbled.

Naru giggled. "Just pick it up tomorrow."

"But we have school tomorrow. I can't go to school without my bag. Haruna-sensei will make me stand in the hallway again!" Usagi whined.

"You end up standing out there at least three times a week, anyway," Naru replied with a laugh.

Usagi pouted. "That's beside the point."

"Just go back for it later tonight, before the arcade closes. Someone will probably find it and turn it in at the counter. I wouldn't worry too much."

Usagi gave a sigh of defeat and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow," she mumbled, starting to trudge home.

"Usagi-chan," Naru called, her face a mask of sympathy. "Don't worry too much about you-know-what. Just put it out of your head! Someday you'll meet someone _really_ special and then you'll see for sure what everyone's talking about."

Usagi gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Naru-chan," she replied. "And, you know…" She offered her most innocent smile. "If you _really_ wanna buy me that game system, I do have a birthday coming up."

* * *

The house was empty when she got home. A note pinned to the fridge with a magnet told her that her father was working late, and her mother had taken Shingo to have dinner with a family friend across the city, and she could have gone along, had she been _home_ on time, but since she wasn't she'd have to make due with warmed-up leftovers.

Some mother. Usagi sighed and took a cookie from the plate on the counter, more out of habit than hunger, and wandered into the living room to watch television. Even her favorite shows couldn't keep her interest, though; her mind was too fixated on other issues.

Luna wandered into the room and jumped into her lap, purring loudly as she curled into a furry little ball to sleep. Usagi smiled and absently stroked the soft, black fur. "I don't know why this is bugging me so much," she confessed to the snoozing cat. "I mean, besides the fact that Mamoru-baka's gonna chew me into tiny little scraps the next time he sees me. What am I supposed to do _now?_" She sighed heavily. "I won't be able to face him ever again!" Her head thumped against the back of the loveseat and she scowled at the ceiling. "I should've kept the money."

Her musings were interrupted by a knock on the front door. "Now what?" she mumbled, deciding to ignore it. She wasn't expecting company, and if it was for her parents, whoever it was would eventually get the hint and go away. The knock sounded again, a little harder. She rolled her eyes. Or not. "Sorry, Luna." She dumped the cat unceremoniously off her lap and stood. Luna gave her a baleful glare before curling into a tighter ball and going back to sleep.

The knock came a third time, followed by the rapid ringing of the doorbell. Usagi ran for the door, nearly braining herself on the wall when she tripped over her shoes, before she managed to find the knob. "Don't get your panties in a twist, I'm coming!" she complained, flinging the door open, and her eyes came to rest on Mamoru. She squeaked in shock, was about to slam the door in his face when he held up a familiar-looking bag. "Missing something?"

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks."

She reached for the bag, but he held it well out of range. She glared, but he merely smirked. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked.

"Mama says I should never invite strangers into the house," she sniffed.

A black eyebrow rose. "But kissing them is okay?" A grim smile pulled at his lips. "We're not really strangers anymore, right? I mean, a kiss is pretty familiar…"

"You've made your point," she snapped. "Now give me my bag and kindly leave."

His expression turned serious. "Not just yet. I think we're due for a little talk. You owe me an explanation, Odango."

She gritted her teeth, wanting to protest, but she knew deep down that he was right. She definitely owed him _something_. After a long moment of indecision, she heaved a sigh and turned to stalk away, letting the door hang open. Mamoru hesitated, then stepped into the house, slipping off his shoes and shutting the door quietly behind him. He followed her into the kitchen, where she pulled two cups from the cupboard before opening the fridge.

"I'm not really thirsty, Odango," he said, recognizing the distraction for what it was.

Her head snapped up from the fridge and she fixed him with an icy glare. "This is my _house_," she replied haughtily. "When you're in it, you will _not_ call me rude names."

Mamoru blinked at her for a stunned moment, before silently nodding. Apparently, being on her home turf lent her some extra backbone she normally didn't possess. Besides that, she did have a point. "So…" he prodded, seating himself at the table and waiting for her to get her drink.

She sighed. "I _told_ you not to take it the wrong way," she grumbled, pouring milk into the cups and carrying them to the table. She set one in front of him, then took the plate of cookies off the counter and put it between them.

He raised an eyebrow; did she even realize what she was doing, serving him like an invited guest? She blinked at him, glanced down at the cookies, and then rolled her eyes. "Whether I want you here or not, Mama taught me to always be polite to guests. So eat a cookie already," she sniffed, taking one for herself and taking a deliberate bite out of it.

He cleared his throat and put a cookie on the napkin she'd tossed at him. "So, are you gonna tell me what that scene at the arcade was all about, or do I have to draw my own conclusions? Because the only idea _I_ can come up with is you have some kind of a crush on me and didn't know how else to express it."

Usagi found herself choking on her food for the second time that day. "That's _definitely_ taking it the wrong way," she wheezed, attempting to clear her throat. "H-how do you know I wasn't just trying to shock you?"

"Well, there is that," he agreed ruefully. "I'd prefer that you find some other way to shock me in the future, if you don't mind."

"What? You didn't like my kiss?" she retorted.

He scratched his cheek and looked at the ceiling. "Well … it wasn't the _best_ kiss I've ever had," he admitted, lips curling into a smile.

She glared, offended. "Oh, _excuse _me_. _It's not like I go around looking for guys to practice on or anything!" She closed her mouth before she foolishly revealed that she had, in fact, never been kissed. "All in all, it was a disappointment for me, too," she added, just to spite him.

"You've never kissed before, have you?" he observed quietly.

Usagi nearly tripped over her own feet. "None of your business!" He made a knowing sound in the back of his throat, and she glowered. "So what if I haven't? It's not like it's a big deal! There's nothing special about it, anyway! All that talk about how great it is … _I_ say it's highly overrated!" She gave a haughty toss of her hair and stomped away. He followed her, of course, and stopped her in the living room, catching her arm in a gentle grip.

"Explain this to me, Usagi-chan," he said quietly. "I am seriously asking you. I really want to know why you'd go and spend your first kiss on me of all people. If it isn't attraction, then what_?_"

"It was a bet, okay? No big deal." Usagi yanked her arm free, daring to meet his eyes. She blinked; she _had_ to have imagined the flash of hurt that lingered in them for a moment.

"A bet," he repeated quietly, with a hint of anger. "What kind of a bet?"

She shrugged, dropping her gaze, crossing her arms defensively. "Naru-chan bet me forty thousand yen that I wouldn't go over and kiss you, that's all." She shrugged. "We were just playing a silly game, betting ridiculous stuff like that. But she dared me to actually do this one, and it's not like she couldn't _afford_ it or anything. So, I did it."

"Forty thousand yen." Mamoru's voice was deadly-soft. "Is that how much kisses go for these days?"

"Well, I only needed enough for a new gaming system," she retorted.

"Hmmm. I didn't think you were the kind of girl to sell yourself so short."

Her heart gave a strange lurch and she glared at him, trying not to show how much that barb had stung.

He continued. "And here I was, thinking someone like you would cherish something like a first kiss. I guess that was an error in judgment on my part."

His harsh words were like a knife twisting in her heart. She felt as though she'd somehow disgraced herself, that he respected her less now. Which was utterly ridiculous, of course. He'd never respected her to begin with! "I … I guess you don't know anything about me then," she stuttered, blinking rapidly to soothe her burning eyes. She wasn't quite able to keep the quaver from her voice. "Like I said, I don't get what all the fuss is about. A kiss is just a kiss. There was nothing special about it."

He gave a wry snort. "You're starting to sound like _me_ now. Snap out of it!" He wasn't teasing so much as condemning.

She let herself plop down on the sofa. Her fingers absently sought Luna's furry back, but the cat had disappeared. "Can you just go away now?" she asked tightly, keeping her eyes trained on her folded hands. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stop herself from crying. Usually, she wailed away without caring who heard, but now she was determined to not break down in front of him. She wasn't about to let him see just how deeply his words cut her. She felt stupid enough as it was.

She heard a deep sigh. "At the very least," he said coldly, "you should give me half of that money. After all, I was an unwilling participant in your _game_. You owe me."

She froze, and then her shoulders slumped as her head drooped even more. "I can't," she whispered.

"Why not? Spend it already?"

She shook her head once. "I … I gave it back to Naru-chan."

"You gave it _back_?" He sounded startled. "Why the heck did you do _that_?"

She shrugged. "I didn't want it, that's all," she mumbled. "It felt wrong to keep so much money for something as dumb as kissing someone. But I'll ask Naru to give you half of it. Will that satisfy you?" She hesitated, then added reluctantly, "I-I'm sorry I let her involve you in our game."

There was a moment of silence. Then, the sound of shifting fabric, and a warm presence filled her vision. Mamoru knelt in front of her on the floor, one hand coming to rest on her knee as those dark eyes searched her face in confusion. "So … you agreed to kiss your worst enemy for a large sum of money that you didn't even keep in the first place?" he reiterated. "You know that doesn't make much sense, right?"

"You're telling _me_ that?" She huffed a short laugh. "Nothing about this makes any sense at all!"

His gaze seemed to warm slightly; his eyes grew softer as he searched her face, the anger vanishing. "Was the kiss … really that big of a disappointment?" he asked, his tone just a little bit hurt. After all, she _was_ offending his male pride…

She pouted, her cheeks warming slightly. "Do we _have_ to keep talking about this?" she whined. "I _said_ I was sorry! I'll even get you the stupid money! Just _please_ pretend this never happened!"

He smiled. "It just … seems a shame that you wasted your first kiss and didn't even get anything out of it."

She huffed at him, confused by his sudden concerned persistence. "Why do you _care?_"

He shrugged. "I don't like hearing you talk like such a cynic about stuff like this. It isn't you," he replied honestly. "Even I can admit that first kisses—_any_ kisses—are supposed to be special."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," she growled, "but apparently what they're _supposed_ to be and what they _are,_ are two different things."

He sighed in mock exasperation and shook his head. "That's because you went about it the wrong way," he told her patiently. "You should have waited until you were somewhere quiet and private, not the middle of a noisy arcade."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, if you say so."

He ignored her. "You also shouldn't have kissed for a reason as shallow as money," he added sternly.

"Thanks for the advice!" She glowered at him, annoyed that he actually had the gall to _lecture_ her. "I'll try to remember that the _next_ time I decide to kiss my worst enemy. Should I be taking notes?"

"Maybe you should," he agreed with a smile, and continued as though she'd never interrupted, "It helps as well if you're physically attracted to the person you kiss."

She had no smart comments about _that_, but the telltale blush coloring her cheeks gave away her thoughts well enough.

"And," he added quietly, his gaze softening as he studied her face, "it also helps if the person you kiss is attracted to you, too."

She clenched her teeth and forced herself to smile. "Well, guess that was my mistake right there," she chirped. "So, Casanova, got any more pearls of wisdom to drop into my lap, or are you done with the lesson now?"

She jumped when warm fingers settled under her chin, gently tilting her face to meet his deep, searching gaze. "To add to that last one," he nearly whispered, his eyes suddenly dancing with gentle humor, "I've found that it really helps things along when the person you kiss bothers to kiss back." The pad of his thumb traced briefly over her mouth, causing her eyes to widen in shock. Before she could process just what was going on, the warmth of his thumb was replaced with the much headier warmth of his mouth as he pressed it carefully to hers.

She stiffened at the unexpected invasion, but only for a moment. As he softly caressed her lips, she found herself slowly melting, eyes slipping closed as her blood heated and her heart raced. Suddenly, she knew what everyone had been talking about. She understood what all those movies and books had attempted to portray. She understood the dreamy expressions in the eyes of her friends when they related their experiences to her, because now she was finally experiencing it for herself, and it was better than she'd ever imagined.

This wasn't like the kiss in the arcade. This kiss was slow, gentle, filled with warmth and emotion. Reassurance. This was the kind of kiss she'd always dreamed of receiving, and that _Mamoru_ was the one bestowing it didn't even matter. _It helps if you kiss back…_ She recalled his advice, attempted to reciprocate, unsure of what she was doing.

Mamoru responded to her attempts by tilting his head a little to better fit their mouths, deepening their kiss skillfully. He slid his hands down her arms and lifted them to drape around his neck, allowed his hands to glide in a soft caress over her sides and slip around her waist, pulling her close. He'd ended up beside her on the sofa; she hadn't even realized he'd moved. She was enjoying herself far too much to be embarrassed about the fact that they were practically wrapped around each other in a rather passionate embrace. If her mother walked in to find her like that—or worse yet, her _father_—she'd be grounded for the rest of her life!

Somehow, that didn't seem to matter, either.

Finally, when the need for air became too much to ignore, Mamoru reluctantly eased away to gaze down at her face. He looked as astonished as she felt as they drew in deep breaths of much-needed oxygen; his dazed eyes were dark, shifting pools of emotion, and she felt herself being pulled into them as they watched her with studied intensity. His breath was hot against her face and neck, making her shiver with desire. She tried to whisper his name, but she'd hardly spoken the first syllable before she was silenced by his mouth darting in to cover hers again.

This kiss was as fierce as the other had been tender; she whimpered when she suddenly found herself trapped beneath him on the sofa. She tried to push him away, but he was too heavy. Realizing he was scaring her, he immediately gentled, eased the pressure on her mouth, tracing his tongue lightly along the seam of her lips. When they parted uncertainly, he carefully slipped inside to taste her. She stiffened in his arms; he hummed quietly, stroked a hand tenderly up and down her back to soothe her uncertainty; she slowly relaxed and allowed him to savor her fully, coaxing her timid response.

They took long, intimate moments to thoroughly explore each others' mouths, until need of oxygen again became a factor in their parting. Mamoru, with obvious reluctance, slowly lifted his head to take in Usagi's flushed appearance, completely breathless, eyes dark and languorous with arousal. "And that," he murmured, daring to taste the soft skin of her throat, "is what kisses are _supposed_ to feel like. Any questions?"

"Yeah." Usagi cast a coquettish glance from beneath her lashes, a languid smile parting her kiss-swollen lips. "Will you do that again?"

He gladly complied.

And thus bloomed one of the most unusual romances in history.

_~~Finish~~_


End file.
